


Voltron: Next Generation

by annoyinglyjovialbird



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Bad Parents, Bilingual Lance (Voltron), Cross-Posted on Tumblr, Established Hunk/Shay (Voltron), Established Shiro/Curtis, Family Dynamics, Family Issues, Family Reunions, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Hunk (Voltron) is a Good Friend, Implied/Referenced Torture, Keith (Voltron) is a Mess, Multi, Murder, Shiro (Voltron) Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Space Dad Shiro (Voltron), Strained Relationships, Team as Family, Uncle Lance (Voltron), pidge sucks at parenting, strained siblings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:20:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 36
Words: 102,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24888256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annoyinglyjovialbird/pseuds/annoyinglyjovialbird
Summary: Thirty-five years after the end of the war, there was peace in the universe at last.Of course, nothing is that simple.After an accidental launch into space, Shiro faces a threat he never wanted involvement in. Now, he isn't on the frontlines. His kids are.Kovalia "Kova" Shirogane has a long-hidden secret, undefined goals, and top rank at the Garrison.Caleb Shirogane has been Kova's second-in-command for years, always one step behind his sister's quick mind.Eliza "Liz" Griffin never wanted to go to the Garrison, but the cute pilot she was teamed up with was enough to stay.Allura "Allie" Smythe is the newest member of Kova's trio, a soft-spoken Altean who is somehow afraid of everything.Issako "Cake" Garrett grew up on Earth under the care of his grandparents after his dad disappeared seven years ago.Kenneth "Kenny" Holt is under scrutiny for causing the accidental launch of long-forgotten spacecraft, the IGF-Coeus.When a new threat arises, will the teens face their destiny head-on? Or will they be too busy yelling at Kenny?Find out in Voltron: Next Generation!
Relationships: Curtis/Shiro (Voltron), Hunk/Shay (Voltron), Keith/Pidge | Katie Holt
Comments: 4
Kudos: 25





	1. Unexpected Mission: I

**Author's Note:**

> Chapters updated here on Wednesdays at 3:30 pm PST.
> 
> New Chapters can be found at www.tumblr.com/blog/annoyinglyjovialbird (may contain spoilers for chapters here), and updated Sundays at 5:30 PST

“And here we have the training deck,” Shiro said, leading several school ambassadors around the Garrison. After becoming a glorified headmaster, Shiro worked hard to keep up appearances.

“Colonel Shirogane?” a small woman with a too pointy nose and too high heels said with a nasal voice. 

“Yes?” 

“Why are there so many students gathered around?” The woman was looking, or rather glaring at, a herd of students in matching orange cadet uniforms pressing their faces into the glass above the training floor. Shiro stepped towards a monitor attached to a wall, showing the training schedule. The name beside the 9:30 slot brought a smile to his face. That’s why she said she couldn’t do it, Shiro thought to himself. 

“Would you like to stay and watch? The next cadet is one of our best. A jack of all trades.” Shiro gestured to the window, seeing the glances the ambassadors were giving each other, who collectively decided, even Mrs. Pinched Nose, to watch the training unfold. A door at the far end swished open, a teenage girl emerging from it. She wore a pair of black training boots, black pants, and a purple t-shirt. White tape was wrapped around her tanned knuckles, all the way up to her forearms. Her long black hair was held back by two braids, a small one holding back her baby hairs, the other kept her waist-long hair at bay and out of the way. In her right boot, the hilt of a blade could be seen, although Shiro doubted she’d use it. The girl looked up, at last, hearing the screams and cheers from her peers through the supposedly soundproof glass. All around the training deck, she looked, until her light brown eyes met Shiro’s, where he sent a nod in her direction. She nodded in reply, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. 

“Training level 3!” She yelled in a clear, deep voice. More cheers came from the cadets as the silver robot was dropped onto the training platform. 

“Training level 3 commencing in _3, 2, 1._ ” A monotone disembodied voice said. The countdown spaced to give the training robot time to charge up. When its eyes glowed blue, it took off for the girl, who dashed to her right. Driving momentum, she kicked the poor robot in the face, pushing it back only a few feet but didn’t topple it. The girl landed in a crouch, glaring daggers at the bot. The robot came for her, arms out ready to catch her when she ran under the robot’s legs, then kicked the bot’s back. Her braid slapped her in the face in her quick turn, but she didn’t mind, flicking it back over her shoulder. 

All she had to do was take off the robot’s head, which was attached by a large magnet. It would be fine. The strength of the magnet depended entirely on what level was chosen. A level three strength would make the head weigh the same as a bowling ball.

It should be simple. 

However, as she went to get the toppled bot’s head, the speakers suddenly sounded with “Training level 5 commencing in _3, 2, 1_!”. To the girl’s horror, the robot pushed her off, made a backflip to stand on its own two feet, and came after her. Level 5 was meant for a duo, one to distract and one to retrieve. No one had ever done it solo. At least, not without damaging the bot first.

_Guess I’m gonna have to apologize to Matt_ , she thought as she reached for the blade in her boot. The bot picked up on this, its blue glow turning red and charging for her. A dash for her left, while the bot went right, gave her enough of a window to throw her dagger into a weak spot in the bot’s armor. The blade sunk into the poor bot’s circuit-made heart. Its glow changed from red to blue to black as it fell to its metal knees, then completely splay out on the training deck. Cheers and screams bounced off the windows, with fists banging on them from the cadets. 

“Training level 3 completed by _Kovalia Shirogane_.” The voice announced, revealing her name to the crowd. Looking up to the window where Shiro once stood, her mood fell when she couldn’t spot his crop of white hair in the crowd of adults. 

“Training level 5 completed by _Kovalia Shirogane_.” Somehow, the voices grew louder, the ‘Kova’ chants getting louder with every time they called her name. Average training sessions last anywhere from fifteen minutes to half-hours. Kova did both levels in under ten, but it didn’t mean she wasn’t tired. 

Over the cheers and screams, over the stunned applause of the district ambassadors, the intercom clicked. 

“Kova and Caleb, report to the Colonel’s office. Again, Kova and Caleb Shirogane, report to the Colonel’s office. Thank you.” She walked over to the doors she came from, going straight to the elevator to the colonel’s office. 

The Garrison hadn’t changed much from Shiro’s tenure. The same orange, black, and white striped walls, junior and senior cadets in orange coats were either roaming the hallways or sitting bored in classrooms doing bookwork, and the gray-coated officers were congratulating her. Pressing the up arrow, she waited, receiving more compliments. The elevator doors opened up, a boy about as old as Kova with floppy brown hair and brown eyes looked up from his phone. They said nothing to each other until the doors closed. Kova pressed the second-floor button, underneath the third-floor button that was already lit.

“What’d you do, kill the bot?” Caleb laughed, tucking his phone into a pants pocket. He also wore black training pants and boots, an unbuttoned orange coat over a gray t-shirt. Buttoning up his coat, he noticed Kova’s agitated face. “You didn’t, right?” Kova pulled her braid over her shoulder instead, taking the rubber band off and unbraiding the long strands. When the hair was finally free, she pulled it up into a ponytail, wrapping the hair tie around her thick hair. She kept the little braid. 

“It’s just a quick talk with Matt, then we’ll go see Dad. ‘Kay?” Caleb rolled his eyes and nodded when the elevator doors opened again. Both kids stepped out, heading for a door at the end of the hall. The door was labeled ‘Tech Room’, and with a touch of a button, opened to the teens. The tech room was two floors tall, with a metal and concrete staircase leading down to the floor. 

“Matt?” Kova called, barely walking over the threshold when a rotten smell hit her nostrils. “Oh, gross.” She muttered. “Matthew Holt!” 

Crashes could be heard at the other end. “H-Hey! Kova, Caleb!” Matt’s light brown hair appeared from a pile of nuts and bolts and who knows what else. He had a clothespin over his nose, wearing a white and orange coat. “What’s up?”

“What died?” Caleb asked, getting a punch to the arm by Kova in response.

“That is a good question. Dad and I haven’t found it yet, but we’ll get it.” 

“It smells like death. How are you okay working here?” While Caleb and Matt were talking about the death smell, Kova looked around the glowing tubes and pressure chambers that supplied the...well, Kova wasn’t quite sure. It could’ve been anything. Inside one of the pressure chambers, there was a furry thing that was so over-inflated, it could’ve been a balloon. It wasn’t a balloon and the colors of the creature’s fur were enough for concern. 

“I, uh, found the source of the smell!” Kova shouted as she ran through the tech room again, grabbing Caleb’s hand, and running back up the stairs. “Sorry about your robot, bye!” The door closed behind them, and Kova breathed in deep gulps of air that wasn’t skunk-related. 

“What was it?” Caleb asked, making Kova gag one more time.

“A dead skunk in a pressure chamber.” Caleb gagged too, pointing to a gray phone attached to the wall. Another deep breath later, Kova picked up the phone, giving a short message to the woman who answered. They didn’t argue or ask credentials. She put the phone back into the receiver, picking it up again and dialing the number written in the small box labeled ‘In Case of Emergency’. 

A gruff voice picked up the other end, and Kova only told them to bring the hazmat suits. Caleb and Kova returned to the elevator, pressing the three again. The hall split into three separate halls, the teens choosing to walk straight forward. They came before another door that, with the swipe of their keycards, let them into the office. Behind a dark mahogany desk, Shiro reclined in his chair, his husband Curtis sitting on the desk when the teens came in. 

“Hey, Dad,” Caleb said to Shiro.

“Hey, Pops,” Kova said to Curtis. 

“I heard you murdered a bot at Level 5,” Curtis said, an eyebrow raised and a smirk on his face. “Another malfunction helping you make Garrison history?”

“Another malfunction, a skunk in a pressure chamber, and a hurt sense of pride. What else is new?” Caleb muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. Kova rolled her eyes at her brother and Pops, then meeting her Dad’s brown eyes.

“Sorry for flaking on the tour.” 

“You didn’t miss much, and anyways, I think they were more impressed with you to mind.” Curtis got off the desk, resting a hand on the top of Shiro’s chair. 

“Two of the schools stayed and are arguing in there.” Shiro pointed a robotic finger to a set of closed doors, where shouts could be heard. 

“But I think they can wait,” Curtis said, placing a screen on Shiro’s desk. The holoscreen came to life, at first just a mess of random rectangles and a bright red dot, then becoming floor plans for the Garrison, but the red dot was flashing in a non-existent part of the facility. _Underneath_ the facility. 

“We figured out the source of the malfunctions, originating in an abandoned subfloor of the building. What it is, though, we don’t know. That’s what you’ll need to figure out.” Curtis said, zooming in to emphasize the depth of the source. Shiro stood from his chair, towering over the teens.

“Going on a mission is your last requirement before the ceremony next quarter.” Shiro stood, meeting his kids’ eyes. Caleb was determined, but Kova was thinking. 

“What about Allie? She requires to go on a simulated mission. As in, not real?” Kova pointed out, making Curtis think. 

“Wait, who’s Allie? What happened to Jazz?” Caleb asked.

“Didn’t I tell you? She moved into the city.” 

“She moved?” Caleb had a huge crush on Jazz, Kova’s communications expert. 

“To be honest, it would’ve never worked out. She could speak five languages, and you can barely handle the one.” Kova crossed her arms, watching as her brother’s dreams became crushed. 

“We take a few liberties with simulated.” Curtis interrupted. “Simulated can either mean dropping you off in the middle of the desert and say we dropped you off on a desert planet.”

“I volunteer as tribute,” Caleb replied, clutching his coat over his heart.

“Or it can mean never leaving Garrison grounds, which would apply here. As long as there is a faculty member there to control and monitor the situation.” 

“Which is why I’ll go down with you.” Shiro sat down again, the chair releasing a huge release of air. Kova and Caleb looked at each other, talking with each other without saying an actual word. 

“Dad,” Caleb started.

“Are you sure?” Kova finished. The teens knew about their dad and his history. 

I mean, getting kidnapped by the Galra, reemerging a year later, being taken away in a huge blue lion, spending years fighting the Galra leader Zarkon with a legendary defender, dying and having your conscience transferred into the black lion, then having it transferred back into a robotic clone of yourself only to return to pilot and captain a warship against Zarkon’s crazy wife and brainwashed Alteans before finally getting peace for the whole galaxy and ‘retiring’ can’t be good for your mental state.

“The basement can only be accessed with my key, as long as your teams are ready to go.” The teens decided to leave it at that, saying “Yes, sir” before retreating to their room. 

Normally, the Garrison would forbid co-ed rooms but made an exception for the teens. Oh, sure, at home, they couldn’t stand each other, but at the Garrison, they were never apart. They were a solid team, matched in strength and skill. They held each other up, reminding each other to humble themselves. And anyway, they were siblings, albeit not biologically. They had each other’s backs. 

Their dorm wasn’t special, or grand, or even separated rooms. Their dorm was the same as everyone else’s in the Garrison, and they liked it. Kova sat on her solitaire bed, to the left of the door. Caleb’s side of the room had a desk bunk, but it felt like he spent more time in the chair than his bed. Three neat brown packages tied with colorful ribbons sat on the nightstand they both shared. Kova put a green and white arm piece on her forearm, opening up a little screen and crossing her legs on the bed.

“Can you hand me the pliers?” Caleb complied, leaning back in the chair. Kova’s project had been taxing, both to do and to watch. At last, though, the screen stopped flashing red into its original Altean blue. “I did it!” Kova raised the pliers in a fist above her head, and Caleb sat up in his comfy chair.

“How did you manage to do it?” He asked, watching Kova’s fist fall on the comforter. 

“She added a lot of changes to the gear, and only she knew the password to override it.” Kova’s eyebrows pinched together, a leg uncurling itself and dangling over the side of the bed. 

“Is someone jealous?” a voice asked from the doorway.

“I managed to get rid of it, didn’t I?” Kova raised her head to look at the cadet who was standing in the doorway to their dorm.

“Guess what finally came in.” Cake said in a sing-song voice. Cake Garrett was half-human (Samoan, if anyone is wondering) and half-Balmeran. His real name is Issako, but after an accident at one of his dad’s restaurants, the nickname stuck. In his hands, he held a perfectly folded suit in a wooden box covered with a pane of glass. 

“Are you serious?” Kova jumped off the bed in excitement. “What happened?”

“Mom said something about Dad wanting me to have it. Talia’s doing good, by the way.” Cake gave the box to Kova. Cake took more after his father than his mother with dark skin and hair. Little Balmeran horns were growing from his scalp, and little knobs on his shoulders were pressing through the fabric of his cadet uniform. He’d recently cut his bangs, showing off his yellow sclera and dark irises. He was like a giant teddy bear with a knack for mechanics, which is why he was Kova’s engineer. 

“Glad she’s doing great,” Kova said earnestly. She barely remembered Cake’s older sister but did remember she was a sweet girl. “Thanks so much for this, Cake.”

“It was no problem.” He turned away from the door, ready to return to his dorm down the hall. 

“Oh, by the way, Cake,” Kova called out, turning Cake around. “Have everyone meet in the commons in a Varga.”

“Oh, that’s, um,” Kova had been using Galran and Altean when speaking to her team to get them used to other species using them. “An hour?” Kova nodded her head, and Cake pumped his fist. “Right away, Cap.” Cake ran away, closing the door behind him before Kova could pick up the closest object and throwing it at him. It was a pillow, which bounced harmlessly on the door. The teens looked up at each other and smiled.


	2. Unexpected Mission: II

Before Eliza Griffin walked into her dorm, she knew she was expecting a new roommate, but she never expected it to be a twelve-year-old Altean.

“Uh, hi.” Liz greeted, inciting a yelp from the girl. She had pale skin and strawberry blonde locks cascaded from her head into two low curly ponytails. Her Altean markings were the same color as her bright blue eyes. 

“H-Hi!” The girl stammered, hands fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. “It’s a, uh, it’s a pleasure to meet you!” Her posh accent was Altean. “I’m Allura of Altea. And you are?” 

“Allura, like the Princess of Altea?” Liz crossed her arms, leaning against the post of her bed. Allura became very flustered at the mention of her namesake, the powerful Princess Allura, who had given her life for the creation of Daibazaal and Altea. 

“Uh, y-yes. I was named after her, yes.” Allura tucked a rogue baby hair behind her ear, although it came loose again. Liz was going to ask her more questions, but a figure appeared at the open door. 

“Hey, the Caps want us in the commons in like, ten minutes.” The young man in the doorway had brushed back his black hair back and away from his face. It was so neat, Liz had suspected it was held by bobby pins rather than gel. “New roomie?”

“Ten minutes? You normally give me thirty!” Liz bolted to her desk chair, grabbing her cadet jacket, Allie’s hand, and ran down the hall. She got to the end of the hall at a cross-section when she noticed Art wasn’t following them. “I swear if he’s messing with me again, I’m chaining him to a chair.” Liz gritted, turning Allie’s eyes into saucers. “I’m kidding!” Liz brightened up. “Maybe.” 

“Are his cheeks always so flushed?” Allie asked. Indeed, Arthur’s cheeks were flushed and his forehead was beginning to shine. 

“Let’s just get to the commons, Allie. He’ll catch up.” Pulling her down the hall, Allie was taken aback by the Galaxy Garrison. With walls resembling those on the ships she would travel in, words printed on the walls in gray and blue with bold orange stripes over them.

The common areas were designed to let as much light in as possible, with large windows on the upper half of the room while being as private as possible. The walls were made with dark panels that were wide open to let in the light. The floors were dark gray too, with lighter gray beanbags and orange couches decorated the floor. Lounging on the longest couch, Cake was flipping through a recipe book. 

“Are you Balmeran?” A quiet voice asked. One glance at her blue Altean markings, Allie had instantly made a new friend. 

“Half-Balmeran.” Tossing the book aside, Hunk extended a hand. Allie took it in her own, and Cake pulled on her arm until she was sitting on the couch next to Cake. “There were too many humans on our team.” 

“Rude.” Looking up at who spoke, Allie relaxed at the familiar grin. With hair now pulled in a ponytail and an orange coat buttoned and pressed, Kova’s bright eyes met Allie’s. 

“Oh, so this is Allie.” The boy next to Kova now spoke. “I’m Caleb, you know my sister Kova,” Kova gave a small wave. “The rude half-Balmeran is Cake,” He rolled his eyes at his name. “Your roommate is Liz, but we tend to call her Griffin, and Art is who knows where.” At the name, Allie sat up. 

“Does he have black hair, a pointy nose, and a little freckle right here?” Allie pointed to a spot on her cheek, just underneath her right eye. 

“Uh, yeah. You already met?” 

“Liz went back to check on him. He looked flushed.” At this, Kova grew worried. Shaking her head, she walked over to the nearest coffee table. Placing an orange touchpad, a screen popped up. It looked like a digital clock, a timer counting down. Liz and Art had about five minutes before they were late. They sat and stared at the clock as it counted down, reaching a minute before the pair walked in. 

“Sorry! We passed by the med wing first.” Liz announced, punching Art in the arm. “Did we already do introductions?” Liz looked over at Allie, who was fiddling with the hem of her cadet jacket. Only one gold stripe lined her shoulders, while the others had two. 

“Not quite.” Kova was half-smiling, while Caleb stared the two down. “Allie.” At her name, the young girl sat up straight with full-attention on Kova. “As you’re aware, our institution splits students up into teams of three.” 

“Oh great, she’s doing the officer voice,” Liz muttered under her breath. Kova took a breath, trying not to laugh. Allie was nodding her head. 

“Most cadets begin training at a young age, usually about twelve-years-old. At about fifteen, or whenever they successfully pass the test, junior cadets have the opportunity to be promoted to senior cadets. Senior cadets at normally nineteen have the opportunity to be promoted to a junior officer, trading their orange coats for gray.” A disembodied voice began to say, and Kova went into full-fledged panic mode. The disembodied voice was Shiro, the information was for the public, and the ad was playing at full volume through the commons.

“Sorry about that. I was trying to project the Garrison blueprints.” Kova said. 

“No, you weren’t,” Caleb grumbled. 

“You were chosen to be my communications because I was down a member and I’m supposed to be promoted soon,” Kova said bluntly. She stared at the other four cadets, who were blinking at her. “If we didn’t have the mission to the Garrison’s abandoned basement, we would have spent more time training.” The four began nodding their heads before the words processed completely. 

“Wait, what?” They all almost yelled unanimously. 

With a projecting screen, the blueprints of the Garrison came to life. The blinking red dot appeared, and the teams were shocked. 

“That’s what’s causing the malfunctions?” Liz asked. Caleb nodded, looking to Kova. Kova stared at him, then turned to Cake and Allie. 

“The sub-floor we will be entering used to be ground zero for the battleships and crew of the IGF-Atlas during the war against the witch and the crazed general. After the war ended, the floor was rendered useless, and subsequently abandoned.” Kova explained, turning to Caleb. 

“The sub-floor is only accessible through an authorized access card, therefore the Colonel will be accompanying us down. If he decides to join us further than the elevator door, we will not argue. We will still be required to treat this like an unsupervised mission.” 

“Thanks to Cake and Allie, we will be wearing suits recognizable to any detection software that may still be active on vessels we may encounter. Our job is to ensure the success of the mission, meaning Allie will be our mule.” A timid hand rose. 

“What is a ‘mule’?” Liz, Art, and Cake stared at Allie with the widest eyes before turning to their Caps, who weren’t responding, then back again.

“Medical, Unnecessary, and Laboratory Equipment carrier,” Kova said, trying to figure out the names for the new acronym.

“Shouldn’t it be mulec, then?” 

“Mulec sounds like an allergy medication, which you are not.” Caleb was glaring at Kova, who was trying to convince herself of the acronym. 

“I thought I was the med when we teamed up,” Liz said, looking at the Caps for answers. 

“Allie used to work with Romelle and Colleen in labs and hospitals on Altea and Earth.” Kova started.

“Besides, you’re better trained for this.” Caleb ended. Liz nodded her head, staring at the dot.

“Other questions?” Kova asked, the teams shaking their heads. “Meet up here at 0800 hours with equipment packed. We will provide suits, but will not provide food, clothes, or first aid kits.” With that, Kova walked away, Caleb following behind, leaving Art, Liz, Cake, and Allie in the room. 

“Why eight in the morning?” Cake mumbled, earning a look from Art. 

“Why complain?” Art shot at Cake.

“Why date the Cap’s sister?” Liz said.

“How do I pack for this?” Allie asked, rigid in her seat. With ‘goodbyes’ and 'see you in the mornings’, the four split off for their dorms. Liz tried to explain to Allie how to pack for a mission, even a simulated one. Cake was wondering if his dad’s suit had anything to do with the recognition software Kova was talking about. Art was heading towards a deck that was completely blocked from the view of the cameras. Leaning on the railing, Kova had her eyes closed. Only one other person knew what she would be thinking about in such a quiet moment and place, and it wasn’t the person snaking their arms around her waist. 

“Did you wait long?” Art whispered in her ear, and Kova leaned back on him. 

“I just needed to breathe.” She turned to look at him. “If you have a fever, maybe you should stay behind.” Art leaned down so their foreheads were touching.

“I’ll be fine, don’t worry.” Art had closed his eyes, holding Kova’s hands. They started dating only a few months ago, but it felt just like the first time. Kova could feel the heat from Art’s skin, laughing in her head to herself. Art was not going on the mission tomorrow, not if she had anything to say about it. 

After a long night’s rest, the teams met up on the training deck. Liz was hoping Caleb was watching, Cake was trying not to die fighting Liz, Allie held onto the straps of her comically large backpack so tight, her knuckles were turning white, and Caleb was looking grouchy, waiting for Kova and their dad to show up. Kova walked in, wearing a familiar suit. Caleb had seen it so many times, it was hard to believe it was still in good condition. In her arms, the brown packages were neatly stacked on top of each other, wrapped with their colorful bows. 

“We’re gonna wear Voltron suits?” Liz asked although it seemed rhetorical since Kova was wearing Shiro’s old suit. Going around, Kova handed the packages out. Caleb got the red suit, Liz got the green, Allie was given the blue and Cake got his dad’s, the yellow. “What about Art?”

“Infirmary.” Caleb and Kova said at the same time. Caleb was woken up by Art’s roommate, who said Art was starting to puke. Kova woke to the knocks but somehow was able to sleep it off.

“Alright, then. Who’s ready to go?” Shiro walked in behind the sleep-deprived teens. Standing at attention, Shiro smiled at Kova who wore his Voltron suit. 

“Uh, not to sound ungrateful or anything, but why the Voltron suits?” Liz asked.

“Aren’t the suits inactive since the Lions disappeared?”

“Yes. The suits are inactive, but my theory is the malfunctions are caused by still-functioning equipment from the Voltron era.” Kova began to explain. “If there is any detection system onboard ships we could encounter, it will hopefully recognize the suits and grant us the access we need to search it." 

"Why couldn’t we choose our suits?" 

"If you’re asking why I gave you green, it’s because it matches your eyes, my dear Liz.” Little known fact, Liz has hated the color green since she was a little kid because of a certain green witch. She still hasn’t forgiven her dad for putting the picture on the wall in a portrait frame. 

“Ready team?” Shiro asked, hoping to hear the sound off. The teens didn’t, instead of helping each other with the suits while Kova went into detail about the upgrades she made on the suits with Allie’s help, including, but not limited to, an upgraded comms system, a larger capacity of breathable air in the suits, a fail-safe detection system, and removed any upgrades the previous user of the green suit may have made. Most of it was gibberish, but they appreciated Kova’s efforts. Soon and sure enough, the teens were dressed head-to-toe in the Voltron suits. Kova had braided her hair, Liz had cropped her hair short when they started the year, and both wanted to braid and wrap Allie’s ponytails into a milkmaid crown. They gave up halfway through and made braided buns instead, but she looked cute in her blue suit. 

“Put your helmets on,” Kova ordered, and all five put them on. Handing an earpiece to Shiro, Kova put her helmet on. “Call in. Caleb.”

“Here.”

“Griffin." 

"Here." 

"Allie." 

"H-here.”

“Cake." 

"Here." 

"Dad." 

"Loud and clear. Now, are we all ready to go?” With a nod from the teens, they followed Shiro to the freight elevator. Pointing to a rack, Shiro made sure every teen had a weapon, except Allie, who walked right past it. “Allie’s the mule?”

“Yep.” Shiro smiled at Caleb’s one-word response. It reminded him of the first time Caleb said his first word without stuttering. With a swipe of his card, the right elevator began descending, deeper than the teens would have expected.

Shuddering to a stop, the elevator opened its doors to a dark room. The light from the elevator was barely enough to see the rubbish piles to the sides of the hall they were in. 

“Flashlights on.” With guns at the ready, the teens walked into the room. Kova and Caleb led the front, while Cake and Liz were slightly behind and on either side of Allie, who looked around quickly. “Hold. Griffin, do a scan." 

"Quit telling my team what to do,” Caleb muttered. 

“I’m not gonna argue with you when you’re sleep-deprived." 

"What if I want to argue?” Caleb’s head snapped to glare at Kova, who was scanning the area with the flashlight on her gun. “What if I wanna be upset?”

“Caleb, don’t be petty.” Kova tried to reason with Caleb, who mockingly copied her command. “Halt. Griffin, what do we got?" 

"A large ship a hundred yards ahead. I can’t get a read from inside.” Liz reported. 

“Move ahead.” Kova started walking forward, but Caleb decided to be a baby, stopping and refusing to move.

“Caleb.” Kova sighed. “When we get inside, you don’t have to look at my stupid face, but for now, please cooperate with me.”

“What if I don’t want to?” Exasperated, Kova rolled her eyes and walked ahead. Cake and Allie followed behind her, while Liz stayed behind with Caleb. Shiro made a mental note to give Caleb the rest of the day off to sleep. Maybe even have Curtis or Cyrus comfort the grouchy teen. “Fine, whatever.” Caleb moved ahead, catching up to Kova’s team. “Ladies first." 

"Then after you, princess.” Shiro wanted to smack both of the teens, but he couldn’t interfere. He had to stay behind the group and watch as they handled this on their own. 

When Liz said a large ship, the teens weren’t expecting an old battleship. Looking to their dad, the teens could see Shiro’s eyes gloss over as he read the name on the side. The name, IGF-Coeus, was still printed in bold letters on the side of the ship, left to age in the abandoned basement. A sister to the IGF-Atlas, the Coeus never saw flight, originally intended to be an infirmary.

“Liz should find the heart of the ship, see if we can get a more accurate read. Cake should go down to the engine room. Allie and Dad will come with me.” Kova looked into Caleb’s eyes, and he nodded. 

Approaching the ship, they noticed a hatch on the side was open. Leading them in, Caleb went first. Waiting for the all-clear, Liz followed behind. Cake entered next, hoping to pinpoint the signs leading to the engines. Giving them a head start, Shiro entered next. He stood by another open doorway, waiting for Kova to enter. With steady and quiet movements, Kova quickly scanned the room Shiro was standing beside. It looked like the bridge. When Allie entered the ship, her eyes were as wide as dinner plates. It didn’t help the hatch door closed with a loud slam and Allie yelped just as loud. 

At least Kova’s theory was right. 


	3. Unexpected Mission: III

When the hatch door closed behind Allie, there was a long beat of silence. Caleb was frozen on his way to the bay. Liz and Cake were frozen in place heading to the engine room. Allie was staring at the door with wide eyes, knuckles white on the straps of her huge backpack. Kova was looking between her dad and the closed door. Shiro kept his face neutral. At least, he tried to. Inside, he was panicking as much as the kids. In a mesh of voices, the teens’ voices began to overlap with the same level of concern and panic. 

“Kova?”

“What happened?”

“What was that?”

“Kova!” 

“Are we trapped?”

“Don’t ignore me!” 

“I’m sorry!”

“Who’s apologizing?”

“Are we ever going to see the sunlight again?”

“Stop being dramatic!”

Shiro was astounded Kova still hadn’t said a word. She was standing still, watching the door. At least, that’s what he thought she was staring at. Slowly, Kova crouched to the floor, wiping her gloved hand over the floor. It was covered in a thick layer of dust and dirt. Pointing her weapon to the door Shiro stood by, Kova’s eyes followed a set of shoe prints that led to the bridge, shoe prints much too small to be Shiro’s and too large to be any of the teens. 

“Be on guard. There’s someone else on board.” Kova’s words stopped the onslaught of questions and comments. “Griffin and Garrett, keep exploring the engine room. When cleared, join Caleb to explore the bays. No one is to go anywhere alone. All clear?”

“Clear.” Three voices said unanimously. Allie, still in front of Kova, simply nodded her head, too afraid to speak. 

“Give Dad the screen.” Caleb’s voice crackled over the earpieces. 

“I’m giving Dad the screen,” Kova muttered a response, taking an orange-tinted screen from who knows where. Shiro couldn’t figure it out, but he still took the screen from Kova's hands. 

As Liz moved, the ship came more into view. Most of the battleships were built similarly, and the Coeus was no different. He recognized the cafeteria and dining room, the infirmary, and the sleeping quarters. Even on an orange screen, the teens were still visible. 

_Kova must have been working on this for months_ , Shiro thought. Allie, who was getting coaxed into walking by Kova, was represented by a blue dot, while Kova was represented by a black dot. Caleb, who was represented by a red dot, was still on the screen, likely waiting for Liz and Cake, represented by a green and yellow dot, who were headed towards the engine room. Reaching the entrance to the engine room, the pair stood still. 

"About to enter the engine room, Cap." Cake's voice crackled too. Kova would have to fix it later. 

"Continue ahead and keep your guards up." She ordered, returning her attention to the bridge. Allie began moving again, dragging her feet. 

"What makes you think there's someone else on board?" Shiro finally asked, close enough to talk to Kova without anyone else overhearing. With a glance at her dad, Kova opened a screen on her arm. She was opening a private channel, labeling it 'Family'. Only Shiro and Caleb would have access to it. With a little movement from her hand, Kova told her dad to repeat. Shiro repeated his question, perking Caleb up. 

"Besides the shoe prints?" Kova asked, and Caleb laughed. "It looked like someone tried to get into the bridge before us, but weren't able to get past something." Kova pointed to a spot on the wall. It was cleaner than the rest of the wall, the imprint of a body etched onto it. "When was the Coeus built?" Shiro shrugged his shoulders, earning him a flat look from his daughter. 

"Did Dad shrug his shoulders?" Caleb asked in the silence.

"Yeah," Kova responded flatly. 

"Before my time." Shiro nodded his head to the bridge of the ship, and Kova braced herself to be pushed back. With slow steps, Kova walked through the doorway without resistance. Shiro walked through next, looking around the screens and deck, all dark and covered by once-white sheets. Allie stood in the hallway, afraid of the door closing on her again. 

Closing the private channel and opening the main, Kova stared at Allie. With a few gestures, Allie began to shake her head. 

"Allie, I don't think the door will close behind you this time." Allie still shook her head. "It'll be okay." With calm, patient words, Allie started moving. With eyes screwed shut, she gave her best impression of a turtle hiding in its shell. The hatch didn’t close behind Allie, much to everyone’s relief. 

In steady movements, Kova descended stairs that led to the floor. The Coeus boasted large floor to ceiling windows for an almost 180-degree view of outside the ship. Looking up, she could see the pattern of the screens. Five people were needed to run the ship, but there was one person who was in charge. The Captain of the ship, the person who had sworn to go down with it. Shiro stood at the helm, eyes glossed over. Kova and Caleb were worried something like this would happen. He retired after getting married, but he was invited back to become Colonel of the Galaxy Garrison. He accepted, only because it was easier for Kova and Caleb to get in. They were nine at the time. 

"K-Kova." A small voice squeaked over the comms. Shiro looked behind him at the voice, where Allie was staring at the grate under Shiro's feet. 

"What is it?" Kova asked, climbing the stairs two at a time. "Oh." 

Stepping away from the helm, Shiro could barely see what the two were staring at. Maybe it was an alien thing. Pulling the grate up, it became a little clearer what the girls spotted. Underneath the grate was a series of cables, running power to and from the engine rooms. One of the cables had a large tear in the rubber, too clean-cut to be an accident. Flashing bright red, an indicator was attached to the cable. 

"What is that?" Allie asked, bending over to look over Allie's shoulder. She seemed to have calmed down, even if it was only physically. 

"Looks a power indicator. They weren't used that often, and aren't normally left inside." Kova was on her knees above the open grate. "Most engineers used them to test energy flow, and send signals when there isn't any so the engineers could fix the issue." With her head up, Shiro could see the gears in Kova's head moving. 

"Could it be the cause of malfunctions?"

"Only if the machinery held a signature code." Kova looked up to Shiro, who had raised an eyebrow. "To check for a signature, it would take looking into every piece of code in every individual machine affected by the malfunction. The signature in the indicator would try to alert its creator, its assigned engineer." Shiro could see Kova's eyes flick back and forth in the amount of the work. "It would take weeks, even if I were to train a team to help me look. Maybe I could create a software that would look for me, but that would require—" 

The ship lurched forward, sending Allie flying into Kova's arms and Shiro holding onto the helm. 

"Kova!" Caleb's voice shouted over the comms. 

"Uh, Cap, we found the intruder!" Griffin's voice came in pants. "But they did something to the ship!" The trio had wide eyes and frozen in place. Kova was the first to unfreeze. Roughly grabbing Allie, she pushed the girl off and dove for the grate. 

"Allie, I need electrical tape, pliers, and a screwdriver or a hammer." Allie took off the backpack, digging through it to pull out a small roll of tape, a pair of needle-nose pliers, and a small ball-peen hammer. "Alright, hold this." 

With clear, almost rushed instructions, Kova talked Allie through. With the pliers, Kova held the cut ends of wires out for Allie to tape as close together as possible. Together, they managed to also tape the main rubber cable closed. The indicator was now a stark yellow instead of its former flashing red. With a quick tap of the hammer, the light and the signal it was emitting were broken. The ship still lurched forward. Caleb was running towards Liz and Cake. 

A scream echoed over the comms, and it wasn't Allie's. 

"Griffin!" Kova and Caleb shouted at the same time. 

"The thrusters were turned on!" With a horrified look on her face, Shiro opened another program on the screen Kova had given him. Shiro was lowering the particle barrier over the Garrison. "Cap, we're taking off." 

"Allie, try not to scream," Kova ordered before they were flung off-balance again. "Griffin, use the BLIP."

"The what?" Liz could barely hear anything over the sound of the roaring engines. 

"The BLIP! It's in your suit!" Looking down at her screen, Liz could see it was true. Taking a quick scan of the area, while she couldn't see Cake anymore, or the shadowy figure they were chasing, she could see an exhaust vent. If she couldn't pursue, she could try to fix the situation. 

"Cake is still chasing the perp, but I'm gonna try to deactivate the engines."

"No!" Three voices shouted at the same time. It was Caleb, Shiro, and Kova. "If you shut off the engines, it could collapse the cage." 

"So I should, what? Let it launch?"

"Yes." Shiro had never sounded more serious. "Launching gives us a better chance of survival." Even if they couldn't see her, Griffin nodded her head, and busied herself. She couldn't stop the engines if she tried as she looked at a countdown sequence. 

"Okay. We got a minute to launch." Another cry from Griffin had Kova concerned but had Caleb worried. "I'm okay! Exhaust vents are filtered inside. I'll open them up. O2 supply is stable, and the energy source is solid." Liz _was_ Caleb's engineer. 

The ship lurched. 

"Why does it keep doing that?" Cake's breathless voice came over the comms. 

Kova and Liz brought up the same screen. Kova had hacked into the Garrison cameras months ago. Liz was viewing the cameras on the ship, broadcasting to the bridge. The light scared Allie but intrigued her all the same. The camera was showing the dust gathering and blowing in every direction as Liz redirected the exhaust. No one wanted to find the IGF-Coeus. 

"Opening hatch doors." A disembodied female voice said, barely audible over the blood rushing through Caleb's ears. They were getting launched into space.

"IGF-Coeus secured." Another disembodied voice, male this time, said over the intercom. Desert sand fell onto the Coeus as it rose closer to the sky. Liz watched as the countdown became thirty seconds. The further up the Coeus went, the closer the sky seemed to seem. 

"Put the school in lockdown. We aren't going to make it without hurting them." Kova looked over the awed faces of junior and senior cadets in orange coats and the horrified expressions of the junior and senior officers. Among the orange and gray, Kova could spot Arthur's face, who was still wearing his plaid pajama pants. Shiro did what was asked of him, the officers shooing the cadets inside. All of them except for Arthur, who looked up at the Coeus. Kova didn't know when she had shared her screen with Caleb, but Caleb was staring at the same screen. 

"I hope he knows we never planned this." Caleb tried to reassure his sister.

"I hope so too." Kova was reassuring her brother. 

With a final lurch of the thrusters, everyone on board the Coeus either flew into the nearest wall or fell onto the floor. Either way, the Coeus took off. 

A full minute had passed when the Coeus had finally stopped, an eerie calm after the storm. 

"Allie, don't scream," Kova repeated. Allie had clawed her hands into the back of a poor chair, eyes as wide as saucers. 

"I'm trying not to." Her voice was tight and quiet. Kova didn't blame her. 

"Call in. Griffin." 

"Here." Liz was barely standing, using two convenient handlebars to hold her. 

"Garrett." 

"Here." He had an armored arm around a person's neck. "I caught the dude." 

"Good. Allie's here. Caleb."

"Here." He was panting, rubbing his head from his violent introduction to the wall. "Barely alive, but here."

"Dad." Kova turned around to find him clutching the helm of the Coeus, staring at nothing. His eyes were wide, glossed over. Seeing something that wasn't there. "Crap. Caleb, it's happening again." Caleb was running for the bridge in a heartbeat, ducking and maneuvering around electrical sparks and collapsed ceiling tiles. It had been years since Shiro was last on a mission, much less a battleship, but the experience took its toll. 

"Allie, stay away." Caleb was in the doorway of the ship, who saw Allie standing behind a chair. 

With slow steps, the teens approached the hunched Shiro. In an instant, his robotic arm had swung towards Caleb, who dodged it with ease. His other arm tried to land a hit on Kova, who ducked and swung a kick to Shiro's abdomen. Kova was crouched when Shiro collapsed, doubled over in pain. With arms tight around him, the teens braced themselves for more punches and kicks. With deep breaths, Shiro looked at the teens, who had their eyes screwed shut. At some point, they had taken off their helmets. With arms around their waists, Shiro held both teens. 

"You left it behind."

"You didn't expect to come back."

"It wasn't your fault."

"Most of them are dead now."

"You have something they don't."

"They can't take us away." When Shiro started having flashbacks, at least in front of them, they started telling him everything they had learned from their brave father. Everything they heard from Curtis, Uncle Lance, even Matt, all were the same things they would parrot back. Shiro fought, and he won, one way or the other. He had won. The teens in front of him, kids raised and trained by him and Curtis were enough proof of that. 

Reaching for Shiro's earpiece, she began to make orders to the others. Telling them to come to the bridge when they figured out how to turn on the holo screens on the bridge. Shiro could barely hear it, finding Caleb's shoulder. Even without the helmet, Shiro still saw the paladin who wore the same suit. Although tense, Shiro could see Allie's namesake, standing tall and proud. Even sitting still, Shiro could hear the crashing of metal and the bright flashing lights from blasts. Whether they were given or received, it was up to Shiro's memory. 

"Okay, let's try getting you up." Kova walked over again, wrapping her arms around Shiro's torso while Caleb wrapped an arm around his shoulders. With careful and steady steps, Shiro was sat down in an empty chair in the corner of the bridge. 

The teens were picking up their helmets from the floor when the holo screens came to life. In blazing orange, the screens were being booted up, a larger screen on the window appearing. Cake was staring at them, wondering whether they could see them or not. He had found a security camera blocked off with tape. Unwrapping it had reactivated it. 

"I can see you, Cake." Kova's voice came over his comms. 

"Look at who I caught." He said with a big smile, stepping back a few steps. Kova had never been so done than that moment. 

"Seriously, Kenneth?!" Kova all but shouted, making him cringe. That seemed to make Allie relax. Finally looking at the screen, she looked at the young man they called Kenneth. He had shoulder-length brown hair, with gray-blue eyes framed by round-framed glasses. His face was set into a pout, furiously beating Cake's forearms. He had been trying to get away, but Cake was too strong for the noodle. 

Kova pinched the bridge of her nose, eyes shut. "Allie, find the zip-ties. Cake, don't let go. Liz, tell me where we are." The screen changed, Cake taking his time by taking down all the tape around the cameras on his way to the bridge. Allie was doing what she was told, taking out a bunch of zip-ties wrapped by a yellow rubber band. Liz pulled up a screen. Shiro had seen too many of those, recognizing where they were. 

"We're in the middle of nowhere, space," Liz reported flatly. Oh, Kova was going to murder Kenny.


	4. First Encounters: I

“Out of all the stupid, idiotic things you could’ve done, launching us into space and light-years away from the Milky Way takes the cake, Kenneth!” 

Kova had directed most of her anger and annoyance into Kenneth, who had been placed into zip-tie handcuffs and sat into a chair in front of the windows. 

“I mean, your grandfather, uncle, and mother were all brilliant and accomplished engineers by the time they were your age. Your mother was flipping fifteen-years-old when she piloted a giant lion-shaped war machine!” Caleb scoffed in the background. Kova turned around to glare at him. “You’re next.” She pointed at him. Caleb’s scoff turned to visible discomfort. 

“The basement was only accessible to higher-ups. What’d you do? Steal your granddad’s access key, snuck onto the Coeus on the off-chance there was something still functioning so you could go back to the Holts and say you repaired a forgotten battleship?” Kova was taking deep breaths again, her face losing the red tint of anger, although her light brown eyes were still as fierce. 

“Yeah.” Kenny winced, already cringing from Kova’s reaction. “All of that, in order.” Kova had never been so livid. 

“Kovalia, attack without being provoked and expect your benefits to disappear.” Shiro had never sounded so stern. Kova took a breath, stepping back to merge beside the other teens, who were lined up behind her. Allie and Cake were to Kova’s left, while Liz and Caleb stood on her right. With a sigh, Shiro stood from his chair, striding over to Kenny. 

“Kenny, you’re twenty-six. You make do with what you have. Did you have to steal Commander Holt’s key?" 

"Who is he, exactly?” Allie whispered in Kova’s ear. Kova had crossed her hands behind her back, a soldier ready for orders when Allie asked her question. 

The teens had taken off their helmets, wearing only their suits. They weren’t able to finish their exploration of the ship, only being able to turn on lights, keep a steady oxygen supply, and meet up in the bridge for Kenny’s scolding. No one had explained Kenny’s existence to Allie, and Kova shouldn’t have been as shocked as she was. 

Stepping out of line, Kova walked towards a screen and loaded info onto it. A larger screen appeared behind Kenny, showing the information Kova was loading onto her small screen. 

“Kovalia.” Shiro was serious, and Kova winced at his reaction. 

“I have a feeling Allie isn’t the only one who doesn’t know who Kenny is.” Kova tried to explain, holding her hands up in defeat. 

With a sigh, Shiro let Kova take the floor. 

“Kenneth Samuel Kogane is the second-born son of Keith Kogane and Katie Holt.” The images on the screen changed as Kova began to speak. With Kenny sitting in front of the screen, two lines split from Kenny and moved up into two separate images. To the left, a man with pale skin, long black hair, and Kenny’s blue eyes stared at the camera with a frown. To the right, a woman with shoulder-length brown hair, round brown eyes covered by glasses, and a smile. 

From the woman, another line connected her to an older man. “Samuel Holt, Katie’s father, was the engineer assigned to the Kerberos mission about thirty years ago, along with Commander Holt’s son, Matthew Holt, and Garrison pilot Takashi Shirogane.” The pictures on the screen were from the killed in action reports from the same time. All the teens except for Caleb and Kova were shocked at Shiro’s picture. In the picture, Shiro had black hair, and the scar on his nose was gone. Caleb thought his dad looked like a teenager, but that was a talk for another day. Kova was still talking. “After the disbanding and disappearance of Voltron and its lions, the former pilots began to lead a life with a higher ranking. Keith Kogane was the former pilot of the Red Lion and later the pilot of the Black Lion, while Katie, often referred to by ‘Pidge’, piloted the Green Lion." 

"Uh, question.” Liz had her hand up, like a kid in a classroom hoping to get called by the teacher. Kova’s nod was cue enough for Liz to continue. “Your parents are former members of Voltron?" 

"My dad is a former member, too.” Cake pointed out. 

“Our dad used to pilot the Black Lion before Keith.” Caleb pointed out, too. Coincidence? Liz thought not. 

“Kenny’s brilliant, but even I can admit a ship is too big of a task.” Kova was bent over the chair, staring right at Kenny. “Even I wouldn’t be able to fix it alone.” Kenny rolled his eyes around the bridge, fully operational. “Hey, don’t pin the ship working just on me. Liz and Allie helped while Cake chased you around and Caleb was ready to catch you.” Kenny’s slumped into his chair, hoping the floor would swallow him whole.

“I didn’t think you’d come down here,” Kenny muttered. “Go down there, you know what I mean!" 

"Kenneth, that isn’t an excuse for stealing Commander Holt’s access key.” Shiro was staring out the glass. He hadn’t seen the stars and darkness surrounding them in years. Behind him, Kova slinked back to her spot between Allie and Caleb. With two stomps to the floor, four of the five teens stood at attention. Allie tried to copy as best as she could but flinched at Shiro’s gaze. Kova and Shiro’s eyes met. Kova was the first to lower her head, awaiting orders. 

“Can someone uncuff me now?” Kenny whined. Shiro sighed, stepping towards Kenny and his chair. The screen behind him turned off, allowing for more of the galaxy to be visible. 

“Caleb, uncuff Kenny.” Shiro began his onslaught of commands. "Liz, keep exploring. Let’s get a more accurate floor plan. Cake, get started in the engine room. Take Kenny.“ Caleb, Allie, and Kova stood on the deck; none of them knew what Shiro had planned. With Liz and Cake gone, Shiro faced the three teens. Well, two teens and a kid. "Allie, you can unpack now. Kova and Caleb will help.” Their eyes wandered to the giant backpack, sitting in the chair of the nearest screen. 

Unpacking the bag took longer than expected. 

Okay, that’s a lie. It took just as long as expected. 

They had it sorted into four piles: Clothes, first aid, spare parts, and snacks. Each kid had three full changes of clothes and underwear, vacuum-packed at the bottom of the bag. The first aid pile varied between the pocket-sized kits to a larger red duffel bag full of bandages and gauze. The spare parts pile had a screwdriver set with interchangeable heads, the zip ties, the hammer, the pliers, and spools of different kinds of wires. Let’s not mention the screws and tape. The snacks were packed by Cake with input from Liz. Ranging from bags of pretzels to packets of fizzy pop rocks candy, there was more than enough for everyone. Shiro was the only one who didn’t have an extra change of clothes, but as he shrugged off his gray coat, revealing a black tank top showing off his huge biceps. Shrugging his shoulders, he said he had done it before. The teens stared at him like he had grown another head. 

“What if I build a satellite?” Kova asked, staring at Caleb. 

“Again?” Kova nodded her head, making Caleb roll his eyes. "You could, I don’t know, find another way of intergalactic communication, like a phone on board.“ Kova sat on her haunches, crossing her arms over her chest with lips pouted. 

"You’re no fun." Dropping her arms, Kova stood on her feet. "And anyway, this ship wasn’t built for intergalactic communication. Way before its time." 

"You’re just making excuses so you could make a satellite.” Caleb followed Kova, standing up. Extending a hand to Allie, the teens continued to their conversation. Lifting Allie to her feet, they almost threw the young girl to the other side of the deck, who had managed to stay on her feet. 

“Hey, I figured out color coordination!” Griffin’s voice came on over the intercoms, the orange screens coming to life. 

All the screens changed, one by one, to a specific color. The two on the bottom changed from orange to blue and yellow; the screens above them turned to red and green; the one at the helm turned white. An orange screen appeared on the window behind the teens, this one not changing color. Instead, an excited Liz was bouncing on the balls of her feet.

“Y'know, cause we’re wearing the Voltron suits?” Kova nodded, showing her understanding. 

“Very cool, very cool,“ Kova said, hoping Liz could hear the 'but’ in her voice. Liz was crestfallen. 

"But?”

“But if you wanna be true to Voltron, let’s start with Altean blue for _all_ screens.” Kova smiled as Liz’s smile returned to her face. 

“I can do that.” Liz signed off the screen, the screens reverting to their original orange color. 

“Quit telling my team what to do.” Caleb was glaring at the side of Kova’s head. She stared forward. Whether she wanted to face Caleb or not, it was up to her, but Caleb continued his silent glare. 

“I’m just as good as you. Don’t think you’re so high and mighty because you’re a top student. I am too. What are you staring at?” Caleb turned his head to stare out the window like Kova was doing. 

“I wonder how they felt coming back,” Kova said in the quietest voice. At last, the screens turned bright blue and the lights were brightened. “They were up here for so long. Do you think it felt like coming back home?" 

"Stop talking.” Caleb turned around to stare at Allie, who was sorting through the piles one more time. With Liz’s map, Allie was packing her backpack again, this time with only the first aid and snack piles. Liz would help her out if she became too confused about anything, while Cake was too busy checking and rechecking the systems diagnostics with Kenny. “You can build your satellite if you stop talking about them.” With a nod, Kova walked over to the staircase. 

She stood at the helm and ready, looking over the deck and other screens below her. It felt almost wrong to her. She had been taught for years that a leader was someone who had equal footing with everyone on her team, not someone who stood above them all.

“We found the rooms, and guess what?” Cake’s head appeared on the camera footage, eyeing the camera. The bright blue screen did not do Cake’s sclera any justice, but no one was gonna tell him that. “We don’t have to share with anyone!” In a sprint, every teen on board raced towards the rooms, hoping to get the best room. Shiro, on the other hand, stayed in the bridge, watching the teens choose their rooms from the cameras. 

The rooms were split into halves of a hallway between the med bay and the cafeteria/kitchen. The hallway was open-ended, likely for a quick escape should anything happen. Three doors were to the right, and three on the left. The excited shouts of the teens overlapped each other, while Kenny’s yelps floated above them. 

In the end, it was settled who got which rooms. The girls would take the side of the hall closest to the med bay, while the boys took the side closest to the kitchen. Kova and Caleb were roomed the closest to the emergency exit, while Cake and Liz were roomed closest to the entrances of the cafeteria and main hall to the bridge and engine room. Kenny and Allie would be roomed in between to prevent any accidents since they were the least trained. 

At least, that’s what they were told. 

Shiro would be sleeping in the captain’s quarters since the first floor rooms were taken. The ship, as they would discover, had more sleeping quarters and floors, but they were too far from the bridge and transport bay. 

“Wait, did anyone check the bay?” Liz asked out loud, her voice silencing everyone else. Kova and Caleb immediately looked at each other and agreed. They were well-trained and wanted everyone else to settle down. 

“Dad, you watching?” Kova asked the camera nearest to the entrance of the bay. “I hope you are 'cause I don’t wanna die today.” Caleb stared at her, opening the bay. “Remind me to reconfigure those.” The hatch door opened, revealing a barely lit warehouse of a room. 

“Turn on your floodlight,” Caleb said, staring at the metal beams fifty feet above his head. They put on their helmets, turned on the lights on their suits, and walked inside. “I thought you said the Coeus was changed to an infirmary.”

“It was supposed to. They probably couldn’t repair it and moved on to the Atlas.” The floor was covered by small piles of random nuts, wires, and bolts. Towards the end of the bay, two fighter jets sat in complete abandon. 

“No way.” The fighter jets, decorated in white, orange, and black, were earlier models of the MFE fighter jets. “These are, like, priceless." 

"One of them is worthless.” Kova was staring at one of them. It looked sad compared to the one beside it. “They must’ve tried taking everything out. I wonder why these two got left behind." 

"Failed inspection,” Shiro said over the teens’ earpieces. “The one Kova’s at had a broken thruster and collapsed wing. It was useless before it even took flight.” Indeed, Shiro was right. The right-wing of the jet was lying on the ground. “The other was having power connectivity issues. It was a war. They had no choice but to abandon them." 

"You don’t need to explain, Dad. I got it.” Kova’s voice was tight, but her brain was moving fast. “Ask Cake to take us to his home planet. Then we’ll know where we are." 

"How do you know?” Caleb asked. Kova tore her eyes away from the fighter jets and followed Caleb out the door. 

“I can use a Balmeran crystal to power the satellite, and another one to power the ship." 

"Didn’t answer my question." 

"Cake’s mom is a Balmeran who worked with his dad to make their culinary empire. She’d be able to help us get home.” Kova was finally getting fed up with Caleb’s attitude. 

First Kova has to train a new cadet on her team. Her boyfriend got sick and couldn’t go on this mission. Her brother is being annoying and getting on her last nerve. Kenny is on board the stupid ship. At least she’s trying to keep her wits about her. 

“No need to get so mad, Kova.” Oh, it was on. 

“Fight and you’re both grounded.” Shiro’s attempt at a threat didn’t work.

“There’s no ground for light-years, Dad.” Kova pointed out, and Shiro was frozen in place. The teens never fought each other unless they needed to let off steam. 

Oh, they were gonna hurt each other badly. 

Switching off the cameras to the bay, Shiro watched Cake familiarize himself with the kitchen, while Liz and Allie were on Kenny-sitting duty. They had changed out of their suits, opting for something more breathable. Cake wore a familiar orange headband and green vest he hadn’t noticed before. He wore a long-sleeved yellow shirt underneath the vest with matching green pants. Allie wore a blue billowy blouse with white pants. Her strawberry blonde hair was being braided by Liz, who had changed into a black shirt and pants with a green overcoat. Kenny still wore his clothes from earlier, a long-sleeved orange shirt with his uniform slacks. 

A screen on the bridge appeared, showing coordinates to Cake’s home planet. It would take a few days, considering the outdated equipment on board. Maybe Kova, Kenny, and Liz could put their heads together to figure something out. 

It had been a few hours since they were accidentally launched into space. Kova and Caleb weren’t to leave their rooms, which was fine with them. Cake had managed to make something somewhat edible for lunch, which was easier than thought to be. Allie now had twin ponytails down her scalp, ending about halfway down her back, and Kenny was still muttering about being on a ship with teenagers. Liz was trying not to slap him. 

“Does anyone else hear that?” Allie asked, taking a second bite of who knows what. 

“Hear what?” Cake asked, wishing they had more than the snacks they had. 

“It sounds like,” Allie was trying to figure out the word when Shiro walked in. “Like a lion’s roar."


	5. First Encounters: II

The room fell silent. The others stared at Allie without moving. Did she say something wrong?

“Allie, are you sure?” Shiro was frozen in the doorway. 

“It’s faint if that’s what you mean.” She may not understand all of Earth’s customs, but freezing at the mention of a lion’s roar wasn’t normal. “I don’t understand what’s going on.” Shiro made a signal for the teens to follow him to the bridge.

“Allie, can you figure out where the lion is?” Shiro asked, pulling a map on the huge screen. 

The teens still stood, not comfortable in sitting in decades-old seats. Allura knows what’s been in them. Allie stepped forward to the map, it’s new Altean blue hue matching her eyes. 

“That’s the Balmera?” Allie stared at the image on the screen, entranced with the living planet. 

“Allie?" 

"Apologies,” Allie shook her head. “I must be exhausted.” With quick steps and her head low, Allie walked up the staircase and to her room. No one followed her. 

One by one, each of the teens began retreating to their rooms. Shiro stayed put, lost in deep thought. It had been thirty years since the last time he was on a mission, much less space. He had settled into domestic life. Well, as domestic as life could get as Colonel and Headmaster of the Galaxy Garrison. 

Liz and Cake entered the bridge and made beelines for the rough-looking chairs. Slowly but surely, they removed the gaudy material that was stitched onto the chair. Eventually, every chair was bare. 

Pulling up cameras, Kenny and the teens were stitching fabric together, laughing and enjoying their time. Shiro decided to walk down to check on them, not seeing the dark gray spaceship flying past the window. 

“What’s going on here?” Shiro asked, knocking on the frame. With three pairs of eyes on him, Shiro walked over to the stove, where the strange concoction Cake made earlier sat in a pan. 

“We’re taking some of the old sheets and making seat covers,” Liz was the first to speak. 

“How far are we from the Balmera?” Cake asked, making Shiro look over his shoulder as he dug for a plate. 

“Shouldn’t be far.” The plates were surprisingly unbroken but covered in a layer of dust. “It would be faster if we had an operating teludav.” Washing a plate and serving himself a piece, Shiro sat down next to the teens. Even sitting, he towered over them. The closest to him in size was likely Cake, but he was still shorter. The slouching probably didn’t help any. 

Kenny’s blank expression made Shiro want to laugh. The grandson and youngest son of the Garrison’s most renowned engineers hadn’t thought to check. Excusing himself, Kenny rushed down to the engine room, leaving Shiro, Liz, and Cake. 

“Can Cap build a satellite?” Cake asked, and Shiro stopped his chewing in response. 

“Kova?” A nod. “Has she done it before?” Another nod. “Yes.” Taking another bite of the food mixture, Shiro considered his next words. “The first one didn’t go well, but the others after it wound up going well." 

"There should be a debris nebula around here if Cap wants to go digging." 

"Can we go?” Another voice at the doorway made them all look up from their tasks. It was Kova, who had changed into black pants, combat boots, and a black t-shirt with a lavender sweater on top. Her intense brown eyes met Shiro’s dark brown ones. 

“Only if Cake and Kenny join you.” Shiro ate another spoonful while Kova nodded her head. She walked back up the hall, heading to her room to change. Before she made it to the mouth of the hallway, however, she was violently thrown against a wall. The alarms on board were flashing red, sirens wailing. “Kova!” Shiro rushed towards the collapsed girl, who was holding her head in her hands. 

“I’m fine, let’s go!” She yelled over the sirens, stumbling towards the bridge. 

Allie was thrown out of bed at the impact, Caleb almost impaled himself, and Kenny was currently holding onto the handlebars at the screen in the engine room. Now he knew why they were there. 

Kova still held her head while she stood at the helm, the throbbing never quite subsiding. Caleb and Liz were quick to get to the screens on the sub-floor below her. Allie and Cake followed them in, with Allie’s arms firmly around Cake’s neck. She was so light, she was afraid she would be on the other side of the side at another impact like that. With the screens closest to Kova already taken, Allie sat below Caleb while Cake sat below Liz. 

“Liz, show me outside feed! Caleb, run diagnostics on running artillery.” The large screen appeared at the front before the mysterious ship from before zoomed past again. “Allie, get me a communication link. Cake, help Kenny from here.” On Kova’s screen at the front, a panicked Kenny was moving around different icons and screens. 

“We have a cannon and small missile blasters!” Caleb had to yell over the noise, the sirens still going off. “Liz, help me!" 

"On it!” The feed showed the tiny aircraft was only the tip of the iceberg. A larger ship stood was out of view of the Coeus’s windows, but not out of view of the cameras all over the ship. It wasn’t quite as large as the Coeus, but the blast it struck against the Coeus was strong enough to tip it. 

“Communications are down!” Allie yelled, staring at her screen. “How behind was this stupid ship?” Kova couldn’t agree more. 

“Ballistas online, cannon is down,” Caleb reported. He turned around to look at Kova, whose throbbing head was giving her a rougher time than it should. “Allie, help Kova. Firing ballistas.” The sirens shut off but the bridge didn’t change from its ominous red hue. The spaceship zoomed past the window again, catching Kova’s eyes. 

“Cake, is there a cloak for the windows?" 

"Uh, yeah! Activating it now.” The inner windows darkened a shade, but the outer windows were as dark as the space around them. Another blast sent Allie off her feet, landing in Caleb’s lap. 

“I’m fine!” Kova yelled, irritation taking over. “Do what you’ve been told!” Cake and Kenny were busily opening up and closing different channels and screens. The Coeus had taken substantial damage, a few panels flying off. A strike landed on the smaller ship, leaving everyone still. 

A face appeared on the large screen. The mysterious alien was cloaked head to toe in black fabric. It looked like a burka, but for aliens. 

“You are trespassing on Fire territory. Leave now or suffer the consequences.” The alien said. Caleb and Kova gave each other a look, turning around to look at their dad. Shiro was in the doorway, staring at the face on the screen. The alien repeated his message, holding a weapon in his hands for emphasis. 

“The Fire?” Liz asked, looking up to Shiro, who was now behind Kova. 

“The Fire of Purification.” Shiro stared at the image, moving past Kova, and opening a channel on the helm. “We are headed towards Balmera X-95-Vox. Allow us entry.” The eyes of the alien narrowed at the voice. He stood unflinchingly as the larger ship passed in front of the Coeus. 

“To pass through, an individual must be onboard with confirmed half-breed status.” Allie, Kova, and Cake made faces, Caleb and Liz looked on in confusion, and Shiro had to make the call. 

“Officer Kovalia Shirogane, second-generation half-galra,” Kova said as loudly as she could from behind Shiro’s towering frame. 

The alien’s eyes went wide, but he had what he wanted. Shutting off the communication link, the ship began to sail away. The throbbing pain inside Kova’s skull began to subside a little, while Caleb and Shiro stared at the teen. 

“We aren’t officers.” Caleb had turned around in his chair to stare at his dad and sister. 

“Yet.” Kova was rubbing small circles into her scalp as she moved around Shiro. Shiro knew the situation was bad, but he didn’t realize how bad it became. 

“Uh, Colonel Shirogane?” Liz asked, also turning around in her chair. “What’s the Fire of Purification?” Shiro met his teens’ eyes with a look that said, ‘Don’t tell your Pops I did this’, before descending the staircase. 

“The Fire of Purification was a group dedicated to bringing order and power to purebred Galras.” Shiro stood in front of the teens, their seats arranged like an auditorium. “Over the past decade, it has changed from purifying the world of everyone except purebred Galras to an unknown objective. The Garrison has been tracking the movements of the Fire, so it’s nothing to concern you guys with.” Liz still looked uneasy, while Caleb’s flat stare said nothing. He and Kova thought Shiro was going to reveal the Fire’s mission, but I guess not. 

“Debris pile.” Kova pointed out the window, already gone before Shiro could call after her. Cake was up the stairs and gone before Shiro could warn him. Allie looked around, eyes darting back and forth. 

“I hear the lion again.” Allie left the bridge, leaving Liz and Caleb alone on the ship. 

They both stared at Caleb’s dad, who just shrugged and took Kenny’s chair. He still had the earpiece Kova gave him earlier, watching the window as the ship slowed to a halt, and the three teens, now in their Volton outfits, jump onto the nearest pieces of debris. 

Kova was over the moon (bad pun intended), on the verge of going supernova (also horribly intended), and just simply overjoyed at going on her first spacewalk. Allie was looking around the debris for something specific, while Cake was moving smoothly through the debris. 

“Hey Cap, what are we looking for?” Cake asked, watching Allie dig. 

“We’re looking for large sheets of metal, wires, and maybe even some decent siblings if we’re lucky.” Kova began to dig through the debris nebula while Caleb looked on. A faint 'fight me’ could be heard from Shiro’s earpiece, but Kova didn’t seem to mind. 

“We need to repair the ship too, right?" 

"Right. There should be enough to cover both.” Slowly but surely, the larger pieces of metal Kova and Cake seemed to find on the nebula made themselves at home in the bay, while Allie was busily looking for something. They had collected almost every piece they needed when they realized Allie was gone. 

“Allie, call in.” Silence. “Allie, call in.” Caleb and Liz, who found a stash of chocolate chip cookies, leaned forward in their seats. They had been busy playing connect the dots with the stars. “Allura, this isn’t funny. Call in.” Ooh, we’re onto the full name. It’s serious now. 

“I found something.” Her quiet voice didn’t seem distressed, but she didn’t seem completely okay. Kova and Cake made quick work of the last few pieces and followed Allie’s tracker. A huge piece of orange metal was the only thing between the pair and Allie. “It’s a lion.” With a quick jump, Kova was over the piece of metal. Cake followed behind her. 

In front of them, Allie was on a meteor, but she looked tiny compared to the huge blue, silver, and black lion robot in front of her. It was collapsed on itself, hidden under larger pieces of debris. Much of it was orange, gray, and white. 

“No way.” Kova’s voice didn’t give Shiro, Liz, and Caleb any idea of what the trio was seeing, the debris nebula too dense to see them. “Hey, Caleb? How did the colors go?”

“The Black Lion was as dark as space, the Red Lion was red like fire, the Green Lion was green like trees, the Yellow Lion was yellow like sand, and the Blue Lion was blue like water.” Caleb had to shut his eyes to remember the way the teachers taught them the colors of Voltron, as well as their elements. When they were younger, Kova and Caleb used to refer the lions by numbers 1 through 5. It made the ’#1 Space Dad’ mug that much funnier to them and no one had to know they knew former pilots.

“Allie found number five.” Caleb sat up in his chair, dumbfounded. Shiro and Liz looked at him to explain, but Kova did that for them. “She found Blue." 

With steady steps, more steady than either had ever seen her, Allie walked towards the splayed out Blue Lion. Entering its open mouth, Allie made quick work of the empty warship. The head was empty other than the chair and controls in front of it. She sat down in the chair, admiring the leatherwork for staying together for as long as it did. With her hands on the controls, Allie closed her eyes. 

It felt like a cosmic joke when holo screens appeared over the eyes, standing up to let out a huge roar. 

Kova and Cake watched it all, holding onto each other to keep each other balanced on the thin piece. A video appeared on the screen in front of Allie, and she almost wanted to walk out of the lion to yell at the universe. 

"There’s footage of their separation." 

"So, we could potentially be the new paladins.” Kova was craning her neck to above the weird lip over her line of sight to look into the lion’s yellow eyes. Cake was dashing back to the Coeus as fast as he could go in zero gravity. 

“Potentially." 

"Can we talk about that after I get home?” Cake yelled over the comms, making everyone listening flinch. “I wanna see my mom!" 

"Let’s get you in the bay, Allie.”

“Uh, actually,” Allie stopped Kova in her tracks. “Can I try to get used to Blue? Using the controls and all.” Kova was staring so intensely into the Blue Lion’s yellow eyes, Allie thought Kova could see her. 

“Allie, you arrived at the Garrison yesterday.” Allie sunk into her seat. “Until you’re cleared on training, you aren’t driving the lion." 

"But—”

“Nope, let’s go.” Kova had the last word, walking back to the ship. Glumly, Allie motioned Blue to follow. Blue fit comfortably in the bay, surprising for the tall creature. 

Making a beeline for the bridge, Allie gave Kova the video footage Blue was trying to show her. It was the last moments of the lions on Earth, with a younger version of the paladins the teens have come to recognize and know. 

As the lions turned around and shot into space, they exited the Milky Way. They traveled light-years until Blue was trapped in the trash nebula. On the screen, a map appeared showing the coordinates of the other lions. 

The Yellow Lion, unsurprisingly to Cake, was on his home Balmera. 

“All for finding the lions?” Kova said, catching everyone’s attention. “Say 'I’.” With a hand raised over their heads, Kova, Allie, Caleb, and Liz stared into Cake. 

“I just wanna go home and find my sister and hug my mom.” Cake moaned, raising a hand for a unanimous decision. 

“C'mon, you can help me repair the ship." 

It took a few days, but the Coeus had new panels protecting its inner workings. Kova hadn’t been able to weld in so long due to pilot training, it was refreshing. Caleb had taken to training Allie in the training arena, who was responding in kind. Most of it was reflex from too much time on Altea with pushy guards, but it was beginning to make sense to her. Cake was running low on ingredients to mix, and Liz had finished the seat covers. More often than not, they could be found either in the engine room with Kenny or on the sidelines with Caleb. Shiro agreed to take them to the space mall if they figured out what they wanted to get. 

Of course, he had to figure out how he was getting any sort of currency (seriously, who plans like that?) but he didn’t voice it. As long as they stayed on track, everyone was safe and sound until they reached the Balmera.

Of course, no one expected the peaceful Balmerans to attack.


	6. First Encounters: III

“Cake!” A chorus of voices yelled. Allie mostly screamed as she flew to the furthest fall, but she would also join in.

“I’m on it!” With nothing but his dad’s yellow suit, Cake ejected himself into the darkness. Shiro seriously underestimated how the teens were trained.

On camera feeds, the teens watched the blasts slow and stop at the sight of the yellow-clad teenager. With a few flashes from the Balmeran ship, it went around the Coeus and its sheer size. They were approved for entry. Kova was going to murder someone and it wouldn’t be Caleb.

Landing on the Balmera, Cake was the first off the ship, running towards a tall woman. At least, they thought it was a woman.

“Hey, where are you going?” Shiro asked Kova, who was suited up in his old paladin armor. The black and white outfit made her brown eyes impossibly brighter. Her helmet was held like a basketball under her arm.

“I have to ask if the Balmera is willing to give me a crystal.” Her eyes met Shiro’s for only a moment, then she turned and put on her helmet. Even if the atmosphere on the Balmera was safe for humans to breathe, Kova wasn’t risking anything. She was better off safe than sorry.

“Be careful,” Shiro called out, but Kova was too out of reach to hear a thing. Allie decided to go along, only because it was her team. Caleb and Liz were helping Kenny with the teleduv, something the Coeus had! Even if some of the lenses were cracked and others were broken, the system itself seemed to be okay. Thank Allura for that, because they couldn’t possibly recreate Hunk’s lens recipe up here.

“Hey!” Cake called out, his helmet off. The Balmeran he was embracing was only a few inches taller than he was, with rough green and yellow skin and completely yellow eyes.

“Hello.” The Balmeran looked up at the pair, who were still wearing helmets.

“The air is safe to breathe.”

“Kova’s just taking precautions,” Cake separated himself from the Balmeran and walked over to the girls. “Cut her some slack.”

“Kova!” A shriek pierced the air and Kova had to brace herself, but even the armor didn’t protect from Talia’s bone-crushing hug. “Are Mom and Uncle Rax giving you a hard time for keeping your helmet on?” Kova was being lifted by Cake’s older sister, who was as tall as Cake and looks to match. Her sclera was much brighter than Cake’s, with a thin dark slit instead of Cake’s round iris and pupil. Built like a body-building ectomorph, Talia was as hard as a rock (pun not intended), much to Kova’s dismay. “Oh, I missed you, my strawberry shortcake!” Kova was kicking her legs, but it was useless in Talia’s grip.

“Hello, beautiful sister.” Cake crossed his arms.

“Issako.” Talia stopped shaking Kova from side to side to glare at her younger brother. Her grip loosened enough to let Kova escape. She imagined Caleb was laughing up a storm.

He was, and Liz was sure he had stopped breathing a few minutes ago.

“Talia.” The Balmeran from earlier scolded the overexcited half-human. “What brings you back?” The Balmeran, who Allie and Kova had assumed was Cake and Talia’s mom, directed her question at Cake.

“It’s a long story.“ Walking alongside his mom, Cake led the way for Kova and Allie. As Allie walked forward, she was pulled back by the collar of her outfit. Looking up, Kova’s face was unreadable, even through the helmet.

"I’m sorry to ask this of you,” Kova said, earning her more eyes than she could count. There were maybe ten Balmerans on the surface, only three directly interacting with the teenagers. “But I have a few questions and I don’t wish to further interfere with your family reunion.” Shay met the eyes of another Balmeran, the one who Kova thought was Cake and Talia’s uncle. What did she say his name was again?

“I am called Rax.” The Balmera approached the teens. “What are your questions?” Kova sighed, letting go of Allie’s collar.

“First, I ask for a confirmation. Has the Fire of Purification returned in full force?” Rax nodded his head, solemn. At least Kova had the information to relay it to her dad. “Second, I wish to ask the Balmera for a few crystals. Would it be alright?” The ground shook after Kova’s question. Rax stood by unfazed, while Allie hung onto Kova’s arm. Behind Rax, a grove of crystals grew from the ground. They all varied in size, some the size of grass blades, and others were the size of small trees.

“The Balmera has answered your question. Any other questions?” Allie wandered past the foreboding Balmeran into the crystals, exploring each crystal. Kova wanted to ask the last question, but she was almost afraid to.

“Do you have any information on the Voltron Lions?” She differed to instead. They were dead, she chided herself. Even if they were alive, at least one more other than Uncle Lance should have made it back. Rax studied the teen, who couldn’t be more than ten inches shorter than he. “We found Blue in a trash nebula not far from here.” Her voice was low, meeting the Balmeran’s eyes. Rax nodded his head, holding his hand out. Kova gave him her left arm, which had a screen on the piece. On the screen, he wrote in a code Kova hadn’t seen in years: 010110010100010101010011

Hunk, Cake’s dad, must’ve taught it to them.

Shutting her screen, Rax nodded. Kova responded with a nod of her own and stayed in the same place as Rax turned around to walk towards the stairs that led to the system of tunnels where the Balmerans lived. With steps, so much calmer and steadier than they had ever been, Kova walked towards Allie and pulled out her knife.

Cake was being showered in so many compliments and praises, he didn’t notice how far he had traveled. He was told he looked handsome in his father’s paladin outfit, to which he looked at his mom for confirmation.

She didn’t even look at him.

The deeper they went, the more Balmerans stayed behind, going into their caves as they passed by. When they stopped moving, Cake found himself alone with his mom and Talia. They were staring forward, but Talia stole glances between him and the wall ahead of them.

The cavern was about twice as high as the bay doors and two football fields long. Inside, the Yellow Lion was inside its protective yellow dome, its eyes following Cake around.

He could barely believe the yellow lion’s coordinates were here when he saw the map of the Lions’ locations, but standing here and looking at the huge metal beast before him, it didn’t make any sense. Maybe he passed out at the Garrison and this fever dream was his subconscious giving him a piece of his dad after his absence. He wasn’t supposed to return to the Balmera until after he graduated from the Garrison, and the inclusion of his mom and sister are just homesick reminders.

Turning to both of them, he only had to look at Talia’s face to realize she wasn’t a dream. Talia would’ve known about this earlier.

Heck, he didn’t know Talia’s nickname for Kova was strawberry shortcake. Her face was priceless.

With careful steps forward, Cake approached the Lion. It didn’t move at all, waiting for Cake to react. With a hand on the shield, Cake looked into Yellow’s eyes. The faint roar in the back of his head scared him, but not as much as the shield dissipating in front of his eyes. With careful steps, he approached the base of the Lion, where a hatch door had opened.

Riding the elevator up, he remembered the stories and adventures his dad used to tell as treats for Cake’s good behavior. After the cake incident, he wasn’t allowed to help at the restaurants. When the elevator doors opened again, he found himself in a back room. Approaching the door at the end of it, he found himself in the Yellow Lion’s head. Taking a seat in the chair in the middle of the cockpit, he brought his legs up the chair moved to suit him. Reaching his hands out to hold onto the controls, the panels came to life in front of him in matching yellow colors.

His helmet had rolled onto the floor, and Cake seriously wondered if he should put it on. No one else had a Lion, he thought to himself. Then he remembered what they found in the trash nebula. Suddenly, he couldn’t reach his helmet fast enough.

“Allie!” Cake shouted, earning him a yelp from the tween. They had boarded the Coeus, with a makeshift sack filled with the materials Kova was going to make the satellite with when Allie got the terrifying message. “Get to Blue!” Cake was so excited, he was bouncing in his seat with joy.

“Kova said I wasn’t supposed to fly it without proper training.” Her right eye was shut, trying to comfort her ear on her shoulder through the helmet. It didn’t work, but it didn’t hurt to try.

“Get to your Lion and when I say go, take off!” Cake was starting the Yellow Lion, getting a feel for the controls. It would be completely different once they were airborne.

“Alright! I’m going, I’m going,” Allie muttered as she wandered off to the Bay. Kova had an eyebrow raised, but she had taken off her helmet earlier. She couldn’t hear the conversation between the two. “Just stop yelling.”

Kova had dragged her bag ‘o’ parts to the bridge, where they had begun to fall out of holes in the tarp. She didn’t mind. Caleb looked at her with an eyebrow raised. Kova shrugged her shoulders, sitting on the floor cross-legged to begin. Caleb and Liz had joined her, sitting in their now completely assigned seats, and Shiro and Kenny trailed Kova and picking up pieces along the way.

Allie was in the cockpit of the Blue Lion, hands on the controls watching everything come to life. Most of it was foreign to her, but she seemed to understand the basics when Cake’s enthusiastic voice came over her earpiece.

“GO!” Cake yelled, causing Allie to wince but she pressed her controls forward. Blue stood, roaring to life as he stood on all four legs. With the bay door opening, Allie took off before Kova could stand up and stop her. Truth be told, everyone’s eyes opened wide but no one made moves to stop Allie.

The Blue Lion was flying around the windows of the Coeus as the Yellow Lion emerged from a hole in the Balmera’s surface. Kova looked on, not sure whether to be jealous that her team had their lions or proud that her team found their lions first. Allie was having a hard time flying the Blue Lion, while Cake took to it like riding a bike. Then again, his dad was the former pilot. Maybe the Lion sensed that.

Now alone, Kova was tacking a few pieces of the scrap metal together. It was harder than she would have hoped, her makeshift arc welder likely not up to any safety code. A few hours ago, she sent Caleb and Liz to check off the list of repairs the ship needed. Caleb glared at Kova, but Liz was happy to do it.

They had managed to properly set and reconfigure the wires that caused the malfunctions at the Garrison, finished the seat covers for the chairs, and were currently in the process of dying them with the help of the Balmerans. Shiro had decided to head down too, leaving Kova and Kenny alone on the ship. Albeit, on different sides and levels, but that was beside the point.

Pushing loose black strands back, she sat down on the floor. She had been hunched over for almost an hour, her back aching.

The Balmerans were kind enough to let the Coeus stay on the Balmera for as long as they needed, Cake’s mom and uncle recognizing Shiro almost on the spot.

Kova was nearly done, the dome of the satellite coming along nicely. It would be large enough to transmit the signals necessary, but small enough it shouldn’t be noticeable by other ships. When the frame was done, it was only a matter of connecting it to a functioning power source. The crystals from the Balmera should be more than enough.

Blue and Yellow raced past the windows of the Coeus the umpteenth time that day. Allie was getting better with every pass she made, although now it was a matter of beating Cake than it was practicing anymore. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Kova got back to work. If she finished the frame by dinner, she would take a break. Maybe a shower. Maybe both at the same time. She didn’t care, as long as her brain had a break from the onslaught of thinking.

“You shouldn’t be thinking about the Fire.” Shiro stood at the base of the stairs. Whenever Kova was thinking about something, she punished herself for thinking about it and either started a new engineering project or finished a previous one. It almost always got her mind off of it. The more serious issues she had to spar out of her system, but those were extreme.

“There’s a reason they demanded a half-galra be on board.” Her voice was muffled from the welding helmet, sparks flying as she started her work again. Tacking is only supposed to be a temporary weld, but Kova had to make sure the pieces were in the right place.

“You shouldn’t be thinking about it,” Shiro repeated. Kova stopped her current bead, tore the helmet off her head, and glared at Shiro. Her black hair was falling around her face in strands besides the braid down her back.

“I’m half-galra. I have the right to be worried.”

“You didn’t have to say anything.”

“And risk everyone dying?”

“No one was going to die, Kova.”

“You’re right.” She stood up, ignoring the stiffness in her knees. “We’d be prisoners.”

“Kovalia.”

“Can’t you see I’m busy?”

“Kovalia, this isn’t just on your shoulders.” Kova was still glaring with intensity, but Shiro kept his calm. “Patience yields—”

“Don’t.” Kova raised a hand. “Don’t say it.”

“I don’t want to leave you alone.” Kova scoffed.

“Like they did?” Shiro didn’t say anything. Instead, he watched Kova lower herself to the floor and put the helmet above her head again. “Just let me work.” She bent over the pieces of metal and began tack welding once again. With a sigh, Shiro left Kova to her own devices, knowing that nothing will take her mind off the Fire of the Purification and its new goals.

The Yellow Lion stopped at the base of the Coeus, waiting for Blue to catch up with them. They never came. A deafening roar came from the other side of the Coeus, and Cake jumped in his seat.

Allie was cackling in her seat, tears flowing down her cheeks. She had managed to sneak up behind Yellow and unleashed a roar on the poor boy inside. In their seats, Allie and Cake could barely see Caleb on the ground getting closer to the giant robotic beasts, but they could sure see his sweater.

Caleb had changed into a mess of a black and red tie-dye sweater over gray jeans and matching red sneakers. Either Kova packed for him, or Caleb learned how to match his clothes. Allie and Cake blanked before exploding into fits of laughter at Caleb’s horrible sweater.

Caleb, unfortunately, couldn’t hear them laughing. Otherwise, he would tell them about the prank Kova made when they were tie-dyeing their clothes. Kova sadly outgrew her shirt ( _cough_ boobs _cough_ ), but Caleb had grown into the sweater.

Caleb motioned for the gigglers to come down from their cockpits, to which they reluctantly did. Allie and Cake tried so hard to meet Caleb’s blue eyes, but their eyes wandered to the horrendous splatters of black and red that made up the entire sweater and could no longer contain their laughter.

“Yuck it up.” Caleb rolled his eyes. This was always the reaction he got with the sweater, swearing off casual clothing until he graduated or was in space. Guess which one came first. “Are the bayards in the cockpits?” The two were taking deep breaths, trying to relax their breathing. Allie held up a finger and walked back to Blue.

She was in the cockpit, staring at the blue and white weapon in the dash. She hadn’t noticed it before, but before she could grab it a white streak of light flashed in front of her eyes. Looking into the sky, her face blanched. She couldn’t get out of the Blue Lion fast enough when the blast struck the Balmera. 


	7. Charging Ahead: I

Even if Allie and Cake piloted the Blue and Yellow Lions, it didn’t stop Allie from trying to hide in the ship.

Running after her, Caleb grabbed the collar of the small girl, who yelped. Cake was running towards Yellow, taking off after the source of the blasts. Allie was trying to find the confidence she had earlier; it was gone. Rest in peace, confidence. Caleb was staring in the direction of the blasts. Allie noticed his face was as unreadable as Kova’s earlier. 

“Allie!” Speak of the devil. “Get in the Lion!" 

Kova was at the helm of the Coeus, looking over the arsenal at her disposal. There wasn’t much she could do by herself, but a shield around the Coeus should be enough. With a timer set, Kova ran out of the bridge, grabbing her armor on her way. She couldn’t hear Allie’s muttering, but she figured it was whimpers of fear. With the suit almost entirely on, Kova had made it to the functioning MFE. 

"I can’t!” Allie’s voice was tightening up. She stared at the white blasts where Yellow chased the blasts. 

“Then follow my lead!” A jet engine had Caleb and Allie both looking to the sky. The white and orange aircraft was flying around Blue’s head. “C'mon! Caleb, get inside!” Allie didn’t know how he heard Kova, but he let go of Allie’s collar and took off for the elevator. “Allie! Let’s go!” Allie shook her head, closing up. She looked like a turtle. 

“I can’t.” Her voice was so quiet. 

“Blue chose you for a reason.” Kova’s inner Shiro came out. “If Blue didn’t think you could do this, it wouldn’t have chosen you.” Allie’s shoulders lowered from her pointy ears and blue markings. Her breathing seemed to slow and normalize when another blast sounded off, louder than before. Kova stopped her circling to see Yellow on the ground, down from a blast. The Coeus blocked their view, but they both knew that if they didn’t get out there, Cake was going down. The Balmera would suffer, too. The groaning and shaking of the Balmera threw Allie off balance. The fall seemed to snap her out of it, running towards the Lion. Jumping into her seat, Allie powered up the Lion. 

_Her_ Lion. 

Kova did exactly what she promised to do; she led Allie. With two Lions and an MFE, the threat was done for. Of course, they didn’t expect the ship to be familiar. Allie and Cake only tested speed, not powers. Kova, on the other hand, had been cleared to pilot an MFE in the past. 

_I guess there was no better time to relearn than the present_ , Kova thought as she fired a few blasts from the MFE. She succeeded in getting the annoyed attention of the pilot of the ship. She didn’t, unfortunately, expect them to ignore the MFE as a whole. 

The black and gray battleship was half the size of the Coeus, strange purple insignias lighting it up. It looked ominous, and Kova had the feeling she had it before. At least something similar. Then she remembered. 

“I see an active Galra battleship.” She said, hoping someone on board the Coeus could hear her. Caleb was alone on the bridge, his dad taking a well-deserved nap and he checked in with Griffin, who was hunkered down with the Balmerans. Caleb didn’t want to wake up their dad, who was having a hard time already. 

“Kova, that’s not funny.” Caleb could feel the shivers of Kova’s withering glare. “They aren’t chasing you?" 

"I’m doing a classic Saturday morning and they still won’t stop shooting at the Lions.” Caleb’s face fell at the mention of Saturday mornings. Shiro used to get them up at the crack of dawn and have them run drills before they started on simulations. It stopped when they were in the Garrison. Then it was the whole school. 

“Do you have a visual of the enemy pilot or a weak spot?” Caleb was pulling up camera feed and settings of the ship. 

“I have visual of the pilot,” Kova said. “They look annoyed." 

"Everyone would eventually,” Caleb muttered under his breath. A camera showed a view of the battleship, but no view of the pilot. “Aim and fire on the pilot.”

“Affirmative.” With a full 180-degree turn, Kova fired at the pilot ship. Another battleship appeared on the other side of the Galra ship, opening fire. With the annoying MFE and larger Balmeran piloted ship, the Galra ship was surrounded. 

Inside, the armor-clad soldiers ran towards the escape pods. Others were running from the bridge to the lookout. With rough movements, many of them were shoved to the ground and stampeded on from the fear of others. A young man was one of these, arms over his head. When the first rough wave passed, he limped towards the bridge. 

“Captain!” The young man yelled, focusing on the stiff man standing. “We must evacuate or surrender! The crew is abandoning ship!” The tall man stood still. His eyes followed the MFE that had been targeting them since he ordered the crew to focus on the Lions. 

“Go if you must.” The tall man turned to look down on the newcomer. His eyes glinted onto the bright red markings on the smaller man’s cheeks. “I don’t expect much from Altean half-breeds.” The young man gulped, holding his arm as though he had been struck. The Captain turned around.

“Sir, we must evacuate or surrender.” He repeated, trying to stand at full height. “Our cargo won’t make it to base otherwise." 

"Then load them into the escape pods.” Captain gritted. “If you care so much about the cargo, then take responsibility for it." 

"Sir!” The Captain turned to face the half-Altean again. His glare was enough to turn a man to stone.

“Remind your brothers and sisters they are not to leave the ship without the cargo if they wish to return to the Empire.” The Captain leaned so far into the younger man’s space, the young man was afraid he was going to die. “Or they’ll have to face the wrath of the Emperor." 

The Captain had a horrible array of scars down one side of his face, blinding him in one eye. The other eye was glowing bright yellow, wrinkles, and scar tissue surrounding the edges of it. 

The young man backed away a few steps from the older Galra, turning and running out the hatch door. With a snarl in the direction of the yellow-bellied man, he turned around to face the fight outside the windows. 

Another blast from the MFE fighter struck the panes, much closer than previous attempts. The sound of scraping metal, then a blur of blue had the Captain admitting defeat. With a groan, the Galra ship backed away from the fight. As one last attempt, the MFE fighter shot one last time. It struck dead-on, cracking the panes on the front of the bridge. The Captain didn’t flinch, staring at the pilot inside the fighter jet. They made no other movements, seeming to glare at him. He knew the pilot couldn’t see him. 

"I’ll be back, little pilot.” He muttered to himself. “Then we’ll see how strong you are." 

Kova, Allie, Cake, and Caleb stared at the Galra ship as it floated away. Four long scratches ran the length of the ship, and the passengers seemed to be completely unaware. Allie had surprisingly given the scratches while Cake distracted the pilot. Kova was feeling uneasy, but the uneasiness was replaced by irritation. Blue and Yellow turned towards the Balmera, intent on spending time on the ground. 

Twin blasts struck the behinds of the lions, causing them to turn around. The impact wasn’t enough to propel them to the ground, but it was enough to have them look. 

"Figure out your powers,” Kova said. “Racing makes you comfortable in the seat, not prep you for anything else.”

“Yes, Cap.” Cake replied, floating towards her. “C'mon Allie. Let’s look for junk for target practice.” Allie wanted to argue, but Kova sounded right. Moving Blue towards Yellow, she saw Kova fly back towards the Coeus. 

“Is she always like that?” Allie asked. Cake nodded, then realized Allie couldn’t see him nodding. 

“Yeah, but you gotta understand her background and training." 

"Her background and training involve being rude?" 

"It’s hard to explain, Allie.” Cake stared out into the stars and dark space around it. “We all got along well ‘cause most of our parents were former pilots and we got to joke about their insane expectations.”

“I thought your father was a cook.”

“He was, but that wasn’t what he was known for to begin with." 

"He was a Paladin first.” Allie’s voice became softer when she remembered their earlier discussions. “So was Colonel Shirogane." 

"Yeah,” Cake had a sad smile on his face. “Griffin’s dad was a former pilot of the MFE fighters. One of Arthur’s parents used to work with Caleb and Kova’s pops." 

"You all had some sort of connection to the original war.” Her voice was a near whisper. 

“Hey, that looks like a good piece.” Cake focused on a large scrap of floating metal floating by. It was so bent, it would have been more of an effort to flatten it with the ball-peen hammer than just use the smaller pieces they had found earlier. 

Onboard the Coeus, Kova was standing against the doorway of the bay. She was so tired, and of what? The constant reminders? The walls around her? The constant attacks? Her mind was going a hundred miles an hour and it didn’t stop. She looked at the control pad in the doorway and started digging into the pack that was biting into her thigh. Taking out a pair of pliers, she set to work on the control pad. 

The light behind the screen didn’t seem so dim when Kova was finished with it. Heading to her room, Kova removed piece by piece of her armor, stripping down to only the body morph suit. Leaving it on, Kova collapsed into the bed under her. Then, she had a better idea. 

Shiro was still drowsy, barely able to register what had happened, but the half-coherent argument happening around his torso was happening, whether he wanted it or not. Kova and Caleb were slapping each other’s arms away, muttering to the other. Whether they heard each other or not, it woke up the father they were arguing on. Kova lay on Shiro’s right side, her arm wrapped around his chest. Caleb lay on the left side, with an arm around Shiro’s waist. 

With a pull, Shiro lifted Kova to his shoulder, while Caleb was held fast. With both teens settled in, Shiro closed his eyes again with a smile on his lips.

“We have to what?” Cake was out of his seat, outraged at the order. “We just got here!”

“Cake, I’m not asking.” Shiro was standing tall at the front of the bridge. Kova was leaning on the banister in front of the helm, Caleb and Liz were sitting in their chairs. The seat covers were drying in front of an exhaust vent. Allie was sitting in her chair with her chin on her bent knees. Kenny was standing off to the side on the floor, leaning on a wall. 

“But we can’t leave!” Cake was adamant about staying.

“Why are you fighting this?" 

"There has to be a reason those ships are coming here!”

“Yeah.” Shiro deadpanned. “Us.”

“Cake, sit down.” Kova sighed. “All for leaving the Balmera, raise a hand.” Shiro watched Kova, Caleb, Liz, Allie, and Kenny raise a hand in the air. Shiro mentally shrugged and raised his hand. “All opposed, raise a hand.” Cake’s hand was lonely in the air. 

“Six to one, Issako.” Cake slumped into his seat at Shiro’s words. He sat there for a few minutes, wallowing. As he stood, the force of the ship moving again had him falling back into his seat. He didn’t get to say goodbye. 

Shay, Rax, and Talia stared at the Coeus from a distance. Shay put a comforting hand on her daughter’s shoulder. 

“They did what was needed." 

"I know that,” Talia tore her eyes away from the ship to look into her mother’s eyes. “But he couldn’t say goodbye?”

“I doubt it was his choice.” Shay was still staring at the ship in the distance. The Coeus, slowly but surely, rose above the tallest ridges of the Balmera, until they were nothing more than a speck of white in the Balmeran sky. 

Onboard the Coeus, the crew continued life as normal, given the circumstances. Kova occupied the bridge, Liz enlisted Allie to help with the seat covers, and Caleb wandered around the ship. Cake stared at Kova, who was working as normally as she could. The small pouch of Balmeran crystals combined could power an entire city for years before replacing them, but Kova used only two crystals as a power source. Kenny eyed the pouch but didn’t make a move to touch it. Instead, he helped Kova put the final pieces together. 

He sat there for hours, completely spaced out (as spaced out as you could get in space). A few snaps in his face snapped him out of it ( _Allura help me_ ), staring at Kenny. The man was in Cake’s face, his hair looking shaggier than it had the entire trip. His mouth was moving but Cake’s brain couldn’t register the sounds. 

“What was that?" 

"Do you want to help us with the satellite?” Kenny asked again. Besides trying to get Cake’s attention for the last five minutes, he had to endure a few electrical sparks, much to Kova’s amusement. 

Cake stared past Kenny to Kova. She was crouched over a semi-circle made of random pieces of metal welded together, wearing her armor. It was about a Kova long, maybe a few inches to spare. If it wasn’t for the hole in the middle, it would make a perfect bathtub for Kova. Maybe a pool. 

“Sure.” Cake stood, ignoring the stiffness he felt. “What do you need me to do?”

Kenny explained the plan as the trio traveled to the bay. Since Kenny was the only one without a spacesuit, he would monitor the situation from the outside because he was the senior member. The boys ignored Kova’s scoff and eye roll. Cake would use the Yellow Lion to make sure Kova didn’t conveniently float away, and Kova would secure the satellite to the Coeus. 

It nearly didn’t go according to plan, with Kova nearly floating away because Kenny insisted on making the tether and the knots. He used a slip knot and thought Yellow Lion’s teeth were a good hold. He got a stern scolding when Kova and Cake returned, but the mission was accomplished. At least one was at this point. 

“Pull up the map of the coordinates,” Kova said as she entered the bridge. Her hair was in a messy braid, strands falling around her face and the middle of her forehead. Pushing them back, she looked up at the screen. Caleb had returned to the bridge, doing what he was told. 

“Which Lion are we aiming for next?” Caleb asked, typing the coordinates into a special search engine the Garrison created. Of course, it hasn’t been updated in years, but whatever, it works well enough. 

“Whichever is closest to us and far away from the Balmera.” Kova’s brown eyes stared at the screen in front of her, watching the locations of the other three Lions appear. The red and green dots on the screen hovered much closer to the other than the previous two had been.

“It looks like the Green and Red Lions are in the Kart-Kar,” Caleb said, trying to read the star system. “Whatever, they’re in that-” He projected the star system with its name. “System." 

"Karthulian System.” Kenny, Shiro, and Kova said at the same time. The younger trio stared at the older man, who had seemingly appeared out of thin air. Cake stared at Caleb, patting his shoulder. Caleb understood, nodding his head. 

“The Karthulian System were training grounds for the former Paladins.”

“The ones before you, right?” Kova was staring at Shiro, who nodded. 

“Red must be on Yendailian and Green must be on Griezian Sur, if I remember right.” Shiro had a hand on his hip and another under his chin, thinking. “Where’s the Black Lion?” Shiro turned to Caleb, who had projected the planet instead. Shiro’s nostalgic smile had confirmed it was the same. The Black Lion was on Arus.


	8. Charging Ahead: II

Cross-legged on the floor, Kova was fiddling with the hard drive of Allura knows what. 

Cake and Allie were practicing with their Lions, asking for permission to leave the Coeus. They had been floating through space for days, while Kenny tried to shorten the journey to the Karthulian Star System. Of course, that was proving more difficult than it should have been. Griffin agreed to help, and it’s been a few hours since anything had been heard from either of them. Caleb would’ve gone down to check, but he chose Cake and Allie preparing to leave as a priority. 

The hard drive in Kova’s hand was about as big as her hand, and a final puzzle piece. The hard drive was being harvested and installed into the screen on Kova’s arm piece. Or rather, Griffin’s arm piece, since the Green Lion was _supposedly_ the most technologically advanced. 

As the seconds ticked by, the signal bars on Kova’s screen became stronger. 

Back at the Garrison, it had been days since anyone had heard of the teams and Shiro. Commander Holt was frantic, raving about a grandson who was missing. Of course, no one knew what the old man was talking about until Matt stepped in. There was no way to confirm Kenneth’s location unless someone on board the ship could make contact. 

As I said, it had been days. 

Curtis was in the conference room adjourned to the Colonel’s office, sipping on a cup of peppermint tea. 

Kova was counting on this. This was a ritual for the Shirogane couple before they started their day, whether the other was there or not. 

Curtis was sipping his tea, with eyes closed as the projector came to life. 

The project Kova had been working on was a small drone, reconfigured, and found in one of the trash bins in the engine room. There were so many of these. 

“Hey, Pops.” Kova only spared a glance at the terrified man’s direction. To even say Curtis was terrified was an understatement. The hot tea in his mouth was spit out of his mouth in such a violent manner, he was bent over coughing up what remained onto the carpet. If he looked up and there was nothing there, he could chalk it up to hallucinations. 

Of course, nothing is that simple. 

Kova kept glancing at the man as he stared at her in disbelief. 

“Kova?” Curtis whispered. “Is that you?”

“Last I checked.” Kova’s crass reply confirmed it. This was happening. 

“How?” Curtis stared at the teen, who was fiddling with a hard drive in her hand. “Did you make a universal remote?”

“Sort of, yeah.”

“How did you get the projector to work? It’s a secure system.”

“I hacked it, like, two years ago.” This was his daughter. 

“How are you?” Curtis’s questions began. “Where are you? Do you need a rescue?” Kova looked up, cocking her head at the screen. She held up one finger, putting her handiwork in her lap. 

“I’m fine,” She held up a second finger. “We’re in space.” A third finger was raised. “No.”

“You’re going somewhere.” Curtis finally saw what Kova was wearing. She would never wear that unless she was aware of a long journey. 

A cobalt blue dress paired with black leggings, black combat boots, and a black sleeveless vest she had stolen from Shiro’s closet. Her dark hair was pulled away from her face in a high ponytail, little wispies breaking free. 

“Where are you going? I can send help.”

“Pops.” Curtis met Kova’s eyes as best he could. “We don’t need help. This is something we have to do.” Curtis sighed. He leaned on the chair at the furthest end of the conference table. 

“Okay, then.” Curtis thought back to the panic the Holt family was in earlier that week. It was worth a shot. “Who’s onboard?”

“My team, two-thirds of Caleb’s team, Dad, and Kenny,” Kova said the last name with such disdain, it was almost laughable. 

“Kenny makes him sound Cyrus’s age." 

"He acted like it, so he gets to be called it.” Kova had picked up her work and started it again in the middle of her sentence. 

“Commander Holt was so worried about him.”

“Oh, I’m sure.”

“Please don’t disrespect the Holts right now.”

“They disrespected me first.” Kova looked up. The flying Lions had caught her eye, but the MFE had her full attention. Where was Griffin again? 

“Dad!” Caleb was yelling down the hallway. Curtis saw him walk into the doorway earlier and waved. His voice had Kova standing up. 

“Pops, I gotta go.”

“What’s going on?”

“I have to go!” Standing too fast, Kova began muttering to herself, limping towards the doorway. Her foot had fallen asleep. With a vague wave, Kova was gone. A minute had passed when another figure appeared in the doorway. 

With mid-parted white hair and a scar across the bridge of his nose, Curtis thought his husband was just as handsome as the day they met. 

“Takashi." 

"Curtis.” Both men had lovesick smiles on their faces, staring at their partner with arrows piercing their hearts for the sudden separation. 

“What’s going on out there?" 

"The Fire is back, stronger than ever.” Shiro watched Curtis’s blue eyes fill with shock, then dread at the information. 

“I’m assuming Kova and Caleb know and haven’t said a word.”

“You assume correctly.” Shiro sighed. He could see out the window at the teens.

“There is going to be a point where Kova has to face this head-on.” Curtis watched his husband’s face fall at his words. “We knew this was coming and she’s prepared to fight. There’s nothing else we can do." 

Light years away, Shiro nodded. Kova and Caleb’s bickering voices became louder the closer they came to the bridge, while Liz and Cake were trying to defuse the argument. Allie watched on in curiosity. Kenny, blocked by the bickering duo, tried retreating to the engine room. He was dragged to the bridge instead. 

"Jet packs with green flames would be so cool!" 

"And dangerous to our health!” Curtis watched the teens come in, rolling his eyes. He noticed the teens were wearing old paladin armor, thinking it strange since there were only five. Allie and Cake had bayards in their gloved hands, waiting for the bickering leaders to stop. 

“Voltron?” Curtis’s shocked voice had everyone’s attention. Allie’s eyes grew to the size of dinner plates while Cake held his bayard out. The bayard morphed into an energy cannon, which Cake seemed to just brush off as normal. His pupils narrowed into tiny dark slits against his yellow sclera. Curtis was worried that Cake might shoot until Kova barked something he couldn’t understand. 

“You could’ve told him.” He heard Kova mutter to Shiro. Cake relaxed his grip on the bayard but didn’t let go. Shiro was standing at the base of a platform. Kova was above him, leaning on a railing. Caleb was standing on a half-level below Kova, Liz was to Kova’s left on the same level, and Cake and Allie were on the floor with Shiro. Kenny, try as he might, was trying to stand behind Kova at all times.

“We’re looking for the other Voltron lions,” Caleb said. Curtis stared at the screen. Kova was bracing herself for the scolding. 

Hours later, they were close enough to the Karthulian Star System to leave the ship. Kova was clenching and relaxing her jaw while she fiddled with the earpieces in her hand. Hopefully, the connection to the satellite wouldn’t make the sound so patchy, but only the next few hours would tell. All of the teens were suited up and ready to go, but they had a last-minute briefing before they went ahead with it. Allie was confused but Cake did his best to comfort her. 

Kova handed an earpiece to each of the teens as they came in. Shiro was on the floor, staring at maps of the three planets the other lions may reside in. He turned as the five teens began to sit themselves down. Caleb and Kova had matching poker faces, Liz had her eyebrows furrowed, Cake was studying the maps, and Allie was stiff in her seat. 

“The Coeus will not be able to assist you as you journey to these planets.” Shiro began his inspiring speech. “Only your partners will be able to assist you in any way, shape, or form.” Kova and Caleb eyed each other, before returning to meet Shiro’s eyes. “Kova, you will stay here. I need you navigating and directing the others.” She nodded, miffed since she wasn’t going out. “Cake, I want you traveling with Liz to Griezian Sur. The Muldoks will easily outnumber you if you aren’t careful.” Cake and Liz nodded as Shiro turned his head to Caleb and Allie. “Allie, you will be assisting Caleb. The suit will protect you from Yendailian’s temperatures for a short time, but you will eventually overheat.” Turning to the whole group, Shiro met every pair of eyes. “Be careful, and when you return, you’ll be able to form Voltron.” Kova took a deep breath, staying still as the other four left the bridge. 

She watched from her place as the Yellow and Blue Lions left the bay and floated in front of the windows. 

“Call in. Shirogane.”

“Here.”

“Smythe.”

“Here.”

“Griffin.”

“Here.”

“Garrett." 

"Here." 

"Roll out, team. You have your coordinates.” With that, the pairs left the Coeus behind, until they were no longer visible with the naked eye. Kova watched as the blue dot on the map for Yendailian got closer to the planet’s surface and began to move around erratically. 

“Blue, what’s going on?” Kova began typing something into her screen until camera footage appeared on the screen. It wasn’t nearly as terrifying as it looked.

Blue was positioned on a gray stone ridge overlooking a lake of molten rock, with sporadic geysers of simmering air erupted from somewhere below the lake’s surface. That wasn’t the terrifying bit. The Red Lion was on a shorter pillar of stone in the middle of the lake. Allie had tried going over the vents of air to drop Caleb above the Lion, but a ring of geysers surrounded the pillar. The Blue Lion wasn’t built for the high temperatures. 

On the opposite side, Cake and Liz had arrived at Griezian Sur. They, too, were also perched on a high ledge. Liz was on the edge of it, looking over the condensed canopy of the planet’s forests. If the species here were as tall as they were rumored to be, then Liz would have an easier time finding the Lion on her own than in the Yellow Lion. Cake seemed to agree, grabbing his bayard and joining Liz on the ledge. 

“We’re gonna venture on our own without Yellow.” The pair started looking around for a path down the mountain. 

“Don’t.”

“Cap, if we don’t, we’re gonna walk into a fight.”

“Don’t do it.”

“Cap!”

“Sorry, Cake. Caleb’s trying to kill himself.” Staring at two screens was challenging enough. Talking to multiple people, however, made it harder than it should’ve been. “You’re clear to continue. Use that river to your right, it should lead you towards Green’s location. Caleb, don’t you dare!” With that, Liz and Cake made their way down the mountain. 

Caleb had also exited the Lion, much to Allie’s protests. It’s not as if she tried very hard to stop him, though. Caleb had found a thin bridge connecting the low pillar and the edge of the lake. Kova almost immediately yelled in his ear. Onboard the Coeus, Kova was doing everything but slamming her head on the railing. 

“Let me cross the bridge or I mute you.” Caleb’s voice came over, just as annoyed as Kova. Growling, Kova knew she had a choice to make. 

“Fine!” Kova didn’t meet Shiro’s eyes. Not yet, anyway. “But don’t try being cool! Get on all fours and crawl!” Doing exactly what he was told to do, even with all the grumbling, Caleb began his journey across the bridge. 

Back on Griezian Sur, Liz and Cake were walking along the banks of the river hoping to find something they could use to make their trip faster. Tremors shook the earth under their feet, leaving the two scrambling for some sort of shelter. This happened to be an oddly shaped cavern near the water’s edge, but it was something. Even without knowing what a muldok looked like, they knew this wasn’t it. 

A robot the size of Yellow stomped up to the water’s edge. With a step, it blocked the water flow of the river. The cold water was only a few inches deep around the edges, and with the new blockage, the water began rising. Slowly, but surely, the water began to reach their ankles. It was halfway up their calves when they decided to contact the Coeus. 

“Cap?” Kova’s eyes were fixated on the screen with Caleb’s camera feed. Reluctantly, she turned to Cake’s and backed up a step. “We have a problem.”

“The giant foot is hard to miss." 

"What is it?” Kova noticed Cake’s voice was low, almost a whisper. 

“Find symbols on its armor,” Cake looked up, searching the light gray plates. On a pointed shoulder, a violet symbol was barely visible. It was rough, but Kova could make out its familiarity. She had seen it too many times in reports. Now it has its first update in a long time. 

“It looks like a ‘Y’,” Cake said. “Maybe a 'V’ with a tail on the bottom.”

“Who cares?” Liz hissed. “How are we getting around it?”

“Maybe we can steal it.”

“No.” Kova was firm. “Do not engage. Go around it, but stay in its blind spots. If there is one, there will be more.”

“I think it’s only one,” Allie said, jumping into the conversation. Switching camera feeds, Kova saw what Allie did. Another mecha, similar to the first on Griezian Sur, was being dropped on the surface of the planet and moving towards Blue. 

“Change of plans,” Kova began running through scenarios through her head. “Allie, Cake, I need you to engage and distract.” Cake wanted to complain, but he was quickly silenced by Allie’s scream. “Allie, get it away from Caleb!" 

With creaks, the mecha in front of Cake and Liz turned towards the Yellow Lion on its ridge. The water level was up to their knees. 

"I’m gonna hitch a ride,” Cake said quickly. “Get to Green.” With a nod, Liz watched Cake hop onto the foot of the mecha as its mechanical knees started bending. Liz watched it disappear, sure that its back was turned before running down the river. 

Kova watched on as four camera feeds showed four different perspectives. Allie was firing blasts at the mecha, effectively distracting it. Caleb was scooting his butt across the lava lake, maybe thirty feet from the Lion. Cake’s feed was bouncing up and down with the movements of the mecha. Liz was running towards the location of the Green Lion. 

“Are you sure they’re the correct pilots?” Shiro asked Kova, who was biting her thumb, a habit he and Curtis couldn’t quite curb. 

“Caleb has been relying on instinct since day one. You know that.”

“And Liz with Green?”

“She’s always been ready to learn, no matter the challenges. If she’s not the pilot, I don’t know who else could take it up.”

“Uh, me.” Kenny was pointing at himself, leaning back in Caleb’s chair with an ankle on his knee. 

“Like I was saying, it’s Liz or no one.” Kova turned back to the screens, ignoring Kenny’s expression. 

Caleb was ten feet away from the Lion. 

Liz had been running for a solid few minutes, using the sudden flow of the river to take her towards the Green Lion’s location. 

Cake’s bouncing hadn’t stopped, but he was near the base of the ridge where Yellow was standing. A yellow forcefield appeared around the Lion as a jerky arm reached out. 

Allie was firing, but the mecha was starting to ignore her. 

With some last few scoots, Caleb was on the pillar with the Lion. The heat was starting to get to him, thick beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. He was starting to pant for air, but he managed to enter the Lion. Sitting at the controls, Caleb’s eyesight became fuzzy. He was too close to passing out from the heat. 

“Caleb!” Kova shouted, but the poor boy couldn’t hear beyond a few words. “Caleb, just put your hands on the controls!" 

Even in his dazed state, Caleb reached out. He couldn’t quite reach it. 

Allie’s scream came over the comms again. Blue had been smacked away from the lava lakes towards one of the erupting volcanoes that surrounded the planet. 

Kova and Shiro could only watch Allie’s screen in horror as the mecha eerily marched towards Caleb and the Red Lion.


	9. Charging Ahead: III

Another blast came over the comms. Tearing her eyes away from Caleb, Kova saw Yellow successfully blast the enemy mecha. With ease, Cake flew around the mecha, distracting it. The mecha, seemingly dizzy from chasing the Lion, had fallen into the river below. 

“Permission to assist Blue and leave Green?”

“Granted.” Kova returned her eyes to Blue’s camera feed, showing the mecha getting closer to the still Red Lion. Griffin could take care of herself. “Use thrusters.”

“Not without me, you’re not.” With a blast of light, the Green Lion emerged from the overgrown canopy of trees. Inside, Liz was ready to go. 

“Hurry up, then!” Together, the Yellow and Green Lions flew towards Yendailian. 

It was almost too late.

Standing, Blue could only watch as the mecha stuttered towards Caleb. A boulder had Blue’s tail pinned to the ground. 

Caleb wasn’t responding, and neither was the Lion. 

The mecha approached the lava lake and took a clumsy step towards the pillar. The sporadic geysers erupted around the foot of the mecha, unbalancing it. It quickly regained its balance, reaching the edges of the lake and swung an oversized arm. It missed the pillar completely, hitting the space above Red’s head. Kova braced herself on the railing. Her knuckles were turning white as she begged for Caleb to open his eyes and fly out of there. 

The mecha was preparing to swing again. A blast to the head threw it off balance. Green flew above the mecha, firing another blast while Yellow headbutted the rock pile holding Blue down. Together, Yellow and Blue roared, getting the mecha’s attention. Yellow went for the mecha’s legs. Blue flew towards Green and fired at the mecha’s head. The gray mechanical beast swung an oversized limb towards the lions. It missed again. 

Closing all channels of communication, Kova connected only to Caleb. The poor boy was still slumped over in his seat. 

“Caleb,” Kova stared at the still images of Caleb inside of Red. “Wake up. Please, wake up.” Kova bowed her head, still gripping the banister. “Don’t make me tell Cyrus what happened. Don’t make me tell him." 

Inside Red, Caleb’s arms reached out and flailed in the air. Through blurry sight and sweat from his forehead, Caleb found the controls. It felt heavier than it should have been. Red was fighting Caleb, refusing to spring to life like the other three. 

"Kenny, are the cannons usable from here?” Caleb could hear Kova’s voice.

“Get ready to fire.” The mecha from Greizian Sur was flying towards the Coeus with alarming speed. Even in the haze, Caleb could hear Kova’s frantic voice. Where was he again?

In a moment of clarity, Caleb fought to stay awake as his grip on Red’s controls became firmer. The screens, all tinted red, came to life before him. With thrusters now activated, Red launched itself into the air. Cooler than before, Caleb stared at the scene before him. Green and Blue were firing on a mecha the size of Blue with oversized limbs. 

“Garrett, take it down,” Caleb ordered. “Griffin, Smythe, follow me.” Turning Red, Caleb led the other two towards the Coeus while Cake was left to take care of the second mecha. 

The crew onboard the Coeus was firing when ready. Both Kova and Shiro were looking for weaknesses in the armor, but it seemed solid. Kenny and Shiro were manning the cannons, shooting at the mecha. Kova was staring at the screen, where Yellow seemed to play with the mecha

“Cake, push it into a volcano, and come help!" 

"I thought it was our new toy." 

"Its twin is here.”

“Gotcha.” Yellow pushed forward and knocked the mecha towards a tall wall of the nearest volcano. With cracks and unsuccessful attempts at standing, the mecha was covered in lava from the volcano. Yellow launched itself into the air before the lava had a chance to reach its front paws. “Heading towards you.”

Red was still fighting Caleb for control, going slower than it should have. Blue and Green had engaged with the mecha, with some assistance from the Coeus. The mecha had swiped Blue away and was swinging an arm to hit Green when Yellow headbutted it. The mecha began to retract its long arms to attack Yellow. From Blue’s camera, Kova could see the exposed wires. Shiro seemed to have spotted it, too. 

“Red, fire at the intersection between the arm and chest plate.”

“English, Kova.”

“Fire at the armpit.”

“Thank you.”

Ignoring the mutterings, Caleb continued his fight with Red and flew until he was only a few yards away. Yellow headbutted the mecha again, while Blue and Green were firing at its eyes and chest plate. The mecha started retracting an arm again, and the Lions cleared a path. 

With agility, Red raced up the mecha’s side and fired three times, then made a sharp turn at the shoulder. Caleb had not only deactivated the mecha, but he had also blown the entire arm off. Repeating it on the other side, the team of Lions watched the arms drift away as the purple lights of the mecha flickered. 

Switching off communications to the team, Kova stared at Shiro. Shiro met her brown eyes, watching them flicker through every emotion she was feeling. The most prominent was a mix of pride and anger. 

“Tell me again why we don’t need to worry about the Fire?” She had cocked her head at the last word. Even annoyed at him for downplaying this, Shiro knew Lance would be proud of how far Kova had come. With a sigh, she bowed her head. “Thank Allura it wasn’t that bad.” Switching on communications, Kova walked into the middle of a very important conversation. 

“We could always buy them,” Cake said. 

“Oh yeah? Where?” Liz retorted. 

“The mall.”

“With what money?”

“The mall? Are you talking about the space mall?” Allie was now in this conversation.

“Ugh, doesn’t it have a real name?”

“No,” Cake and Allie responded, much to Liz’s disappointment. 

“Liz, don’t worry about it,” Caleb reassured his teammate. “We have to get to Arus, anyway.”

“I’m surprised you aren’t fighting Kova to the death right now.”

“He’d lose before we started.” Kova was watching the screen come to life with the four panels with the helmeted faces of the pilots. Well, new paladins.

“Wanna bet?" 

"You already pilot the Red Lion,” Kova said, standing up and crossing her arms. “Why do you want the Black Lion?”

“To prove how good of a leader I am.”

“You aren’t the one standing here giving everyone commands.”

“What were you gonna do? Get in the MFE?”

“If I had to.” Kova took a breath. “What were you guys talking about earlier?”

“Oh, we’re down about half of the lenses in the teleduv.”

Kova’s stomach grumbled, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten since she started building the satellite. “Blue and Green, fly for a while. Red and Yellow, enter the bay." 

"What if I don’t want to?” Caleb challenged. 

“Then Green comes in and you pass out from dehydration.” Kova watched Caleb smack his lips, trying to rehydrate them. His tongue was like a desert with no end in sight. 

Yellow and Red ended up flying towards the bay, headed into the hallway, and went their separate ways. Cake headed to the kitchen to figure out what he would make. Caleb headed to the bridge to help Kova scold Dad. Shiro had always hated it when the pair would team up against him. 

Caleb stood off to Kova’s side, while she handed him a water bottle and stared at Shiro. He walked down to the floor, knowing the teens’ eyes were on him the entire time. Kenny had slinked away from the bridge, closing the door behind him. 

“Remind me again how the Fire isn’t a big deal?” Caleb asked when Shiro didn’t turn around to meet his eyes. 

“We have to tell them something,” Kova chimed in. “They won’t fight against an enemy they know nothing about.”

“The Fire of Purification is an ongoing and classified casefile to all cadets and low-ranking officers.” Shiro turned his head. “Your teams are cadets and you will be low-rank officers. You only know about the Fire because—”

“Because I’m involved.” Kova looked down, glaring at the ground. “You can give the authorization. We can tell them.”

“Opening the Fire’s casefile will open yours, Kova.” Kova looked up again. “Do you want everyone else on board to know about your past?” Caleb stared at the two. Kova doesn’t talk about her past to strangers, mostly because it became a classified case after they found someone in Kova’s family was involved with the Fire. She didn’t talk about it. “Not only that, opening those casefiles opens the one about the failed Coalition response.”

“Stop it.” Caleb heard Kova whisper. “I get it. Stop.” Shiro sighed, walking towards Kova to stand underneath her platform. 

“If this progresses further,” Shiro sighed, tucking his hands into his pockets. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.” With a nod, Caleb and Kova left the bridge and their dad. The cheery mood in the kitchen did nothing to change Kova’s expression. Caleb, on the other hand, joined right in with the discussion. Kova fixed herself a plate of Balmeran fruit and went to her room without another word. 

With the door shut behind her, she felt something off. Her knife, which she had decided was valuable enough to bring along, was thrumming on the bedside table. Out of the corner of her eye, a shadow moved against the wall. Calling the knife to her hand and dropping the plate onto the floor, Kova held the intruder against the metal door. The knife had extended into an almost full-length sword, and she had most of the blade parallel with her arm under the intruder’s chin. Unfortunately, Kova recognized the intruder. 

Or at least, their association. 

“Leave. Me. Alone.” Kova snarled, her irises becoming dark slits against a yellow background. The intruder had completely yellow eyes, light blue hair reaching the nape of their neck, and violet skin. Their body armor was dark gray, with the Fire insignia on their front in purple. The lightning bolts on either side of the symbol were also purple. 

“You would do nicely among our ranks.” The Galra spoke, ignoring the blade to their throat. “To be among your kind. To fight alongside your brethren. To—”

“Save your speech.” Kova pressed the blade against their neck tighter. “I told you before. I’m not interested.”  
“They’re looking for you,” The Galra kept going. “There’s a reward for you amongst the lower ranks.”

“You think that’s enough motivation to join?" 

"The humans of Earth underestimate your abilities. They don’t appreciate you, nor will they ever—”

“Leave or I’ll remind you of the last time you tried your speech.” Kova’s voice was low, almost a growl. Her tan skin had taken an almost gray hue, and her hair seemed to have blue highlights under the light. The Galra gulped at the threat. 

Last time, Kova hadn’t been so kind. She had stabbed the last Galra attempting to speak to her about the Fire’s cause. They escaped, but it was much too close for comfort. 

At blade-point, Kova led the Galra towards the closest exit. She watched as the Galra opened the door, and turned back as though to say more, but Kova had enough. She kicked the Galra in the gut, sending them flying towards the darkness of space and closed the door. The blade in her hands turned back to normal size when Cake came around the corner. 

“Cap?” He watched Kova carefully. The alarms went off when the door opened, but they went off before Cake could figure out what caused it. 

“Go back to the kitchen, Cake,” Kova turned towards the hall that led towards her room. “I’m fine." 

Cake eyed Kova as she walked back to her room, staring at the knife in her hands. 

In what would feel like days later, the Coeus arrived onto the surface of Arus. Like the Balmerans, the Arusians recognized Shiro almost on the spot. They continually asked about the space goddess and the blessings her arrival had brought them. Shiro couldn’t tell them anything other than thanks for letting the Coeus rest on Arus. 

I guess Allura is a space goddess now. Hm.

Kova was wandering the planet, looking over the open green meadows that seemed to cover Arus. Caleb and Liz were on resource collection and Allie and Cake were joking with the younger Arusians. 

Kova was supposed to be looking for the Black Lion, but her thoughts strayed to the Galra’s speech, as well as Shiro’s words. She could never seem to run away from her other half, never seem to control it. In her defense, no one had taught her how to use it. She had to learn how by herself, among other things. 

Soon enough, she was at the edge of a cliff overlooking a large body of water. Below her, haphazard piles of stone jutted out from the sea. As much as she wanted to scream, maybe the waves will be enough to relax her. 

She thought back to her memories with the McClain family when they would have their beach days. Kova never jumped into the water because she didn’t know how to swim, but Lance’s patient coaxing was enough to get her feet in the water. By the end of the day, they couldn’t get her out of it. She had found a shell in the soft sand and stuck it in her plastic pail. When she got home, she scribbled the date on it and placed it on the highest shelf she could reach. It was still there, on the shelf in her room back home.

Her only thought as she climbed down the cliffside was maybe she could find another shell to match the one back home. Her feet met another shelf in the cliffside, only an arm’s length from the waves. Laying on her stomach, Kova reached her hand down as far as it could go. Her fingertips almost touched the water when a roar echoed in her mind. Kova had turned around, her knife in hand, the blade had extended. 

Behind her was a cave opening. 

Lowering the blade, returning it to its original form, she stood up and walked towards the opening. With a deep breath, she entered the cave, already done with dark, underground spaces. 

The Black Lion, unlike the others, was splayed out in an awkward position. Like a toy a child had dropped and didn’t pick up. Its wide jaw was open, with gray, lifeless eyes. Kova figured the tide had caused this, but she couldn’t be sure. Maybe the waves had pushed it in? If the Lion were to stand, its head would likely destroy the already fragile ceiling of the cave. She didn’t have a choice. She would have to go inside and manually pilot it out. Bracing herself, Kova climbed into the Black Lion’s jaws. 

On the surface, Allie was being entertained by stories of the Arusians and their beliefs. They believed the space goddess would cure their famine. She and Cake had discovered there was a dam blocking the water supply to their fields. They had quickly gotten rid of the branches in turns so the Arusians wouldn’t suspect a thing. A thunderous roar echoed over Arus, and the Arusians celebrated the discovery of the Black Lion. 

In front of the Coeus, each of the teens had flown their Lion in front of the Arusian village. In order, from left to right, was Blue, Red, a huge piece of space where the Coeus could be seen, Green, and Yellow. The Black Lion, circling over the cheering village, had landed in that space between Red and Green.

Kova exited, removing her helmet in the process. As quickly as the Arusians welcomed Shiro, they shunned Kova. Allie and Cake noticed the shift, much to Kova’s annoyance. 

"She’s one of _them_ ,” One Arusian said.

“The King says they aren’t to be trusted,” Another spoke. “Now one leads Voltron?”

“Enough!” The King, the teens assumed, spoke. He approached Kova, who was stopped by spear-wielding Arusians. She should’ve figured. “We do not mean to anger you, oh great leader of Voltron. Please accept this apology dance!” A dancer scurried to stand before the King, but Kova had turned towards the Lion. “Great leader, where are you going?”

“I mean no disrespect,” Kova had knelt to be eye-level with the three-foot-tall Arusian. “But if my presence causes fear among your people, I think it safer to communicate with our allies on my home planet than stay.”

“Please, stay,” The King pleaded. “Should we do a sacrificial fire?”

“Your Majesty,” Kova said firmly. “I want your people to be safe and to trust me. My team will help your village on my behalf while you and I speak with the Colonel about the events over the past few decaphoebs.” The King looked at Kova with a grim expression and nodded his head. With that, Kova stood and walked towards the Coeus alone.


	10. Eventful Days: I

Despite the reactions of the Arusians, the crew of the Coeus was allowed to stay on the planet for as long as needed. Kova wanted to fight it, but Shiro had already thanked the Arusian King for his offer. 

For days, the crew of the Coeus set themselves up for success by preparing the Coeus. This ranged from restocking food and medical supplies to repairing recognition software and everything in between. 

Cake and Liz carried on with life as normal while Allie was worried about Kova and Caleb drifting away from the group. Caleb still trained with Red every day, even if they fought each other for control, but at least he was in the lion. Kova wasn't. Allie heard language coming from the others that she had never heard before. She didn't understand a word they said unless it was a word she had heard before and only because it was Altean. 

Days had turned into weeks and Kova had piloted the Black Lion maybe three times besides the first escaping the cavern in the sea. They were well stocked in supplies, and the Coeus's seemingly endless list of repairs had shortened. Everything was on track. Everything was seemingly perfect. Even Allie knew it wouldn't last much longer as she stood in front of Kova's room door. With a deep breath and shaking her shoulders and arms, Allie knocked on the door. 

When it opened up, Kova was wearing a lavender t-shirt with black pants and boots. Her hair was down her back in a long braid, long strands framing her face. Much to Allie's bewilderment, Allie had a knife in her hand, making the poor girl jump back. 

"Were you going to stab me for disturbing you?" Allie shrieked.

"What do you need, Allie?" Kova asked. At least she spoke. With a quick tuck, Kova had made the knife's blade disappear into her boot. 

"I, uh," Allie stammered. "It's a, um, it's complicated to explain." Kova had leaned into the doorway of her room. 

"Try your best, Allie."

"Uh, um, well," Allie began. Footsteps approached the girls, making both look down the hall. 

"Dad wants us on the bridge." Unsurprisingly, Caleb had Kova's attention.

"Did he manage communication?" 

"I think so." The pair walked off, leaving Allie alone in the middle of the hall. She stood there quietly, in front of the now-closed door. She was always so soft-spoken. Who did she think she was? She can't do this. How could she do this?

"Allie?" She looked up. Kova was poking her head around the corner to stare at her. "The meeting is for everyone." Approaching the girl, they went towards the bridge without another word. 

The screen came to life as communication between the Coeus and Earth became more secure. The teens had filed in, taking their designated seats. Shiro was standing just below Kova's podium and Kenny was becoming one with the shadows in the corner of the room. 

On Curtis's end, he hadn't told anyone else about these meetings. He was worried the media would be on top of the story, or worse, the case files would be leaked. He did, however, reassure the Holts. Kenny was alright. In space, but he was alright. They immediately demanded he is to be brought back, so Curtis hung up. There is no way the Holts were making demands when the situation with the Fire is getting worse and Voltron is back. 

On the Coeus, the teens could see the image of an empty conference room. Liz and Cake were playing a game of cards (where did they get those from?), while Allie fiddled with the hem of her white blouse. Kova was setting stuff up for the meeting and Caleb was staring at the screen. Soon enough, Curtis appeared on screen, causing all the teens to stop their tasks and look directly at him. 

"Hey, Pops," Kova said so calmly. 

"Where's Ken?" Curtis asked instead. They all turned to stare at the corner Kenny was holed up in, where he stared at the screen with big eyes. He was holding a book in his hands, curled up in a chair. "Your grandparents are worried about you." Kova's snort went unnoticed by Curtis, but Shiro gave her a stern look. 

"Can we begin this meeting?" Liz had asked, leaning back into her chair. "This is the first time we've been allowed in here."

"There is sensitive information that has been classified to cadets and low-rank officers," Curtis explained. "Kova and Caleb are aware of that information because they're—"

"The Colonel's kids." Liz, Cake, and Kenny said in a flat tone. Allie wanted to laugh at the others' expressions. 

"Unless the situation progresses more than what I've been told, I see no reason to worry you all." Shiro turned to Liz. She nodded her head, resting her head on her fist. "Now, we can share some information about it but we have to tread carefully to avoid complete exposure."

"And this is?"

"The Fire you are fighting against is a resurgence of a former resistance group," Curtis said. 

"We already knew this." Liz turned her chair to stare at Kova. "What's new?"

"The mission," Curtis spoke instead. "Years ago, when the Fire of Purification first appeared, they wanted to cleanse the universe of all inferior species until only the strong and purebred Galra remained. The inferior species included but were not limited to humans, half-Galra, and existing Alteans." 

Liz couldn't tell if the pictures on the screen were Curtis's or Kova's doing, but it helped illustrate the facts. The pictures showed the destruction the Fire of Purification had left behind. It was almost apocalyptic. The pictures of the resistances against the Fire of Purification also showed up onscreen, as well as the fighters who led those resistance groups. A third picture showed three people with small Altean markings on their cheeks underneath their eyes. One had dark skin with white hair that had been piled into a high bun. She had pretty pink marks and blue eyes. Another had pale skin and blonde hair tied in twin ponytails and turquoise eyes with matching markings. The third figure was, as Allie had recognized him, was Emperor Coran. 

"The Fire of Purification had seemingly died with their leader, Sendak." A picture of the deceased general had appeared. "About ten years ago, we discovered how wrong we were." All the pictures onscreen had dropped away, disappearing as three pictures appeared. All three were insignias. One was a rough purple shape with the words 'Vrepit sa' underneath. The other had the insignias of the Fire of Purification, it's strange V with a tail with lightning bolts on either side of it in yellow. The picture in between the two was of the symbol on the armor of the mechas they had fought earlier. 

"The Fire now is interested in fanning the flames of hate among the planets who helped form the Coalition."

"That's still a thing?" Liz asked, to which she got a dramatic reaction from Cake. Cake's dad had helped start it, after all. 

"Have any of you noticed any prejudice against any members of your crew?" Without meaning to, all eyes went to Kova. Even with the King approving of her, the Arusians were reluctant to accept her help in any way, shape, or form. Kova knew it was because of the ransom and the Arusians didn't want to get involved.

"He's asking about Allie and Cake," Kova said, her arms crossed and eyebrows furrowed. "He already knows my status."

"Oh," Allie turned to the screen. "The Arusians have accepted us completely." 

"Good." Curtis had a screen in front of him, typing away the information the teens were telling him. "How's the training been going?" Once again, Kova had all eyes on her. 

"The King has allowed the training of the Lions on Arus, and we are currently in the process of making a plan." Curtis and Shiro both stared at Kova. 

"That is the lamest excuse I have ever heard." 

"Red is fighting for control, Blue has an inexperienced pilot, Yellow has been headbutting a wall in hopes of making a cave, and Green refuses to form a bond." The teens stared at Kova as she gave her blunt statement. "Not quite an invalid excuse."

"What about you and the Black Lion?"

"Don't ask me about practice when you've been scheduling these meetings."

Liz pretended to be eating popcorn as the exchange was happening. Caleb looked bored, leaning his head on a propped fist while Kova and Curtis stared the other down. Cake had been 'stealing' from Liz's popcorn bag. Allie resumed her fiddling with the hem of her shirt. 

"The Lions chose their pilots," Curtis stood to full height. "Practice with them more often and the bonds will be formed."

"Dad, tell him it doesn't work like that."

"Takashi, remind her I worked with Voltron during the war."

"They didn't know your name!"

"You weren't born yet!"

"Enough," Shiro said, stopping the two. "Kova, I want the training plan finalized by tomorrow and in-motion by the end of the week." 

"Yes, sir."

"Curtis, continue with the briefing."

"Fine." Curtis collected himself, tugging his coat down. "Your task is to continue to monitor the Fire and its actions." 

If Liz did have a bag of popcorn, it would have fallen to the ground. There was no way Voltron was back and they wouldn't fight against the group who had attacked them. 

"This has to be a joke, right?" Liz sat up properly in her chair. 

"Griffin," Shiro said. 

"No, I'm serious," Liz glanced at Shiro and stared at Curtis. "They attacked us first, and we can't fight back?"

"Griffin," Shiro repeated.

"They've been doing this for ten years!" Liz stood up. "They have to be stopped!"

"It's classified information," Curtis repeated from earlier. "I can't tell you anything."

"It's not that you can't, you don't want to." Cake muttered. 

"Until next time, team." With that, Curtis signed off. The screen turned off, leaving the team in darkness before the lights turned on brighter than before. 

"Everyone except for Holt and the Colonel, report to the training room," Kova announced, turning on her heel. The other teens stood and followed Caleb to the training room, a level or two below the sleeping quarters. 

The training room was painted dark gray with large, two-story columns lining the walls. The white floor was painted in a hexagon shape in orange. Kova walked over to an alcove opposite the door while the other four stood in the center, one more awkward than the others. Kova returned with small sandwich bags. Inside each bag, there were two rolls of tape. Handing one to Caleb, Kova handed three to Liz while she hung on to one. Liz handed one to Cake and Allie. Allie stared at the tape in the baggie, not noticing the others put on their tape with ease. 

"Allie." The small girl's head shot up, watching Kova's every move. "Here, let me show you." Kova had crossed the floor towards Allie and showed the girl how to tape her hands. While Allie was being taught, Caleb looked around the room. A balcony covered by glass sat directly above the doorway they used to enter. Above their heads, the room was being lit by a bright blue light. Strangely enough, it gave a white glow. With Allie taped up, Caleb and Kova trained their teams until dinnertime. 

At least they had mats. 

"The Arusians have invited us to dinner," Caleb said to his sister. She was standing in the doorway to the bay, staring at the door. "If you wanna come."

"It's fine," Kova said. Curtis was right, and she knew that. She had to form a bond with the Black Lion. What're a few missed dinners with a species that doesn't accept you because of a ransom on your head?

"You need to relax."

"And eating dinner with the Arusians is relaxing?"

"It should be."

"Caleb." Kova turned to meet Caleb's eyes. "It's fine. I'll be fine. Go." With a huff, Caleb turned towards the elevator closest to the bridge. Kova turned to face the door, and could've sworn she heard roaring in the back of her head. With a swipe of her hand, the door opened. 

When it turned dark on Arus, the teens had been returning the Lions to the bay to mark off spots. The Black Lion had miraculously fit with its wings. Now, Kova had to take it out again. With her suit on, Kova sat in the chair inside the Black Lion's head. With a deep breath and a minute of silence, she led the Lion out of the bay. 

As fast as it could go, the Black Lion took off for the star-filled sky. Turning around, it stared at Arus. The blue and green planet was covered in swirly and fluffy white clouds. Kova had been training for this since day one. She was told she would never see the stars, and yet here she was. She was here for all the wrong reasons, but she was here. 

"Let's get some simulations underway," She said through a tight voice. The screens changed to a traditional training course and Kova moved her head until her neck popped. She would spend the next few hours training with the Black Lion while everyone else returned to the Coeus and slept. 

The next morning, Kova had a plan ready to go for the others. Red and Blue were paired up together, while Green and Yellow were paired up, while Kova would be training under Shiro's plan for the Black Lion. 

This happened for a week. A rinse and repeat every day. Red and Blue trained with each other on speed, while Green and Yellow raced around Arus. The next week, Red and Green switched places. The third week, Green and Red worked together, and Blue and Yellow did the same. The Black Lion's training was becoming more intense, with the Coeus firing blasts and Kenny had managed to get the mecha from earlier to become semi operational. The last week was spent, not with the Lions, but in the training room again. The teens had their bayards and were learning how to use them. 

Cake's bayard turned into the minigun. Allie's bayard had morphed into a bow. When she pulled back the string, an arrow made of blue quintessence formed. When she let it go, the arrow flew into the furthest wall and left a dent, but the arrow disappeared. Liz's bayard had turned into a standard-issue gun, similar to the ones they had when they boarded the Coeus to. Caleb's bayard had turned into something similar to Liz's, but it had more sniper characteristics. Kova's bayard had turned into a long, curved sword. When moved, the blade glinted dangerously. At least she knew how to use it. Shiro, who had been watching from the balcony, had made up his mind. It was time to go. 

"Thank you for everything," Shiro said. The teens and Kenny were lined up behind him. Kova and Caleb stood on either side of him, with Cake and Allie on Kova's side and Liz and Kenny on Caleb's. "Truly, thank you."

"Thank you for giving us hope again." The King clapped his hands together and bowed before the crew. The Arusians behind him followed his movements, many of them staring at Kova. "Please accept these gifts for all the help you've given us." Three large baskets were brought forward to the front of the crowd. Two of the baskets were filled and piled high with food. The third was filled with silver and copper coins. With a look at Shiro and getting a nod of approval, Kova moved forward to grab the third basket. The Arusians behind the King jumped back as Kova reached for the basket. 

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Kova said, bowing her head as she knelt before the King with the basket in her hands. Allie and Cake did the same, reaching their hands forward to grab the other two baskets. 

"Watch out for the Fire, my dear," the King whispered. "There are many who would take the ransom money." With a nod, Kova stood. Cake and Allie stood too, not having too much trouble with the baskets. With a final goodbye, the crew returned to the Coeus. They were in the air not much longer after that. 

"Can we go to the space mall, now?" Kova asked after five minutes of flight. All the teens had settled into their comfortable routine in their chairs. The covers were finally done. Caleb's cover was unfortunately covered in black ladybug spots. Allie's cover had pretty Altean designs in blue. Cake's yellow cover was mostly yellow with green Balmeran designs. Liz's cover was completely green with orange lines down the sides. If only she hadn't angered both Caleb and Cake, it could've been avoided. 

Shiro was standing in the middle of the floor, staring out the window. When Kova spoke, he turned around to find all the teens making the same puppy face. Even Kenny was roped into this. With a sigh and a smile, Shiro stared at the team. 

"Set a course for the space mall." He said. The teens cheered as Liz brought up the screen to set the coordinates.


	11. Eventful Days: II

With the announcement from Shiro's mouth, every teen began their version of a list of things they wanted from the space mall. Kova's list was more practical, Caleb's list was a bit more fashion-centered, only because he was done with the ladybug jokes, Allie didn't have a list of items, just things to do, and Liz and Cake had combined their lists because they were so similar already. Kenny would join Kova since most of the supplies on her list were things he would wind up using one way or the other. Even if they were days away, the teens were still excited to go somewhere.

Little did the crew of the Coeus, the mecha that was being used as target practice was being tracked. The dark gray and black battleship floated through space towards the Coeus. At the helm, Captain Scars-for-a-Face was smiling creepily. His crew had managed to return to base, delivered their cargo, and were supposed to collect another shipment. Before the ship left, however, the Emperor had personally sent for him. He ordered the Captain to collect the half-Galra aboard the Coeus alive with the promise of being in line for the Emperorship. The Captain was all over this and promised he would return with the girl. 

"Captain!" The young half-Altean from earlier approached the helm. "How was your meeting with the Emperor?"

"Darrar," the older man growled, turning to the half-Altean with a creepy smile. "This mission will put me on top of the world, exactly where I belong."

"Captain," Darrar visibly shrunk. "What is the mission, exactly?" Darrar was afraid their task involved the ship from weeks earlier.

"The mission, Darrar, shouldn't concern you."

"Yes, sir."

"Are we still tracking the robot?" The Captain turned to the front of the ship, crossing his arms behind his back and standing tall. 

"Yes, sir." 

"Good." The Captain stared forward, his smile never wavered.

On the Coeus, Kova was once again cross-legged on the floor of the bridge. Her hands were on her knees and her eyes were closed. She was sitting directly in front of the large windows with only the hum of the ship to fill the void. With deep breaths in and out, Kova relaxed her shoulders. Time passed with the slow movements the stars made as the Coeus moved forward. The other teens had gone with different routes to prepare for the trip. Liz and Kenny were checking supplies and even fuel, but the small clusters of Balmeran crystals were augmented enough to power a majority of the ship. Cake had taken over the kitchen, rewriting his and Liz's list of food-related items. Allie was in the infirmary, sorting through the medical supplies since most of them hadn't been secured when the Coeus had taken its hits from earlier. Caleb was doing something with Shiro, but neither would say what until an anxious Kova checked the cameras. Both of them were outside of the Coeus stargazing. That was when Kova decided she needed to relax. 

The ability to relax completely, strangely enough, disappears when you grow up with siblings. Someone was coming down the stairs that led to the bridge floor. Their footsteps got closer to Kova, not stopping at any of the seats on the way down, but Kova still kept her eyes closed and took a deep breath in. The footsteps were about two feet behind her when she made her move. Turning around, she grabbed the person's right leg and pulled it towards her. With the person in an awkward stance, Kova hooked her right arm over the person's head and neck and pulled herself up to a crouch. The person tried to free themselves from Kova's grip but she ended up putting herself on the person's back, making them land on their hands and knees. 

"Kova, get off your brother," Shiro sighed. "Caleb, you know better than to trick your sister." The teens both looked up at Shiro, who was standing at the helm. Caleb was turning red from Kova's hold, and Kova leaned over casually, as though Caleb was a railing. Obeying their dad, the teens gathered themselves. Kova was wearing all black with her lavender sweater. Caleb, on the other hand, was wearing only the bodysuit of his paladin armor. Both walked towards the staircases leading to the doorway when the large screen on the windows appeared. All three stared at the alert, showing a cluster of dots approaching the Coeus. At least, it's what it looked like. The Coeus was drifting dangerously close to a trash nebula. 

"Kova," Shiro said. Oh, right. There were other people in the room. "What is that?" 

"Debris." She looked from the map to stare at Shiro. "We can harvest it."

"That sounds bad," Caleb said, only a half-step below Allie's seat. 

"Of course it sounds bad."

"What do you think?" Both teens stared at Shiro, who stared at the map. On one hand, harvesting the debris could get rid of the potential risks for ships in the area. On the other hand, there was no guarantee they could get rid of the entire thing, and Kova still has the ransom on her head. However, Kova was the only one who could figure out what would be useful and what could be destroyed. 

"Alright, I'll allow it." Kova raised her arms in the air. Caleb sighed, rolling his eyes. 

"I'll suit up."

"I'll let everyone else know."

"Take Allie with you two." Shiro's last order froze the teens in their tracks. Neither moved, hoping Shiro would explain further. "The least experienced pilot should be trained under the Garrison's best." Unfortunately, that was very true. 

"Yes, sir." The teens managed to muster and left. Kova made a beeline to her room to suit up while Caleb went to the medical bay to grab Allie and get her to suit up. 

The Lions were in the air and heading towards the cluster of debris nearby. The clusters didn't accurately read any of it. The levels differed between the entire cluster, but it was clear most of it was Garrison equipment. Besides the signature orange and gray lines on white plates of warped metal, several of the pieces read Garrison on the side. The trio found a space rock trapped in the debris and landed on it. It barely fit the Lions, but it managed. Exiting onto the surface, Kova looked around.

"Well?" Caleb asked, bayard already in his hands. He and Allie were on either side of Kova, looking to her for any sort of calm or order. There was none. 

"A lot of the pieces are going to have to be cut down to size." Kova rubbed the back of her neck. "Most of it is useful, but I mostly wonder if we can find the name of the ship on at least one of the pieces."

"What's your thought?" 

"This is huge." Kova brought her arm piece forward, releasing her neck and directed a comms line to the Coeus. "Hey, what's the size of our surplus material bin?"

"I don't have a measuring tape," Kenny snapped. Who broke his heart? "Why do you want to know?" Kova sent a picture of the mess to Kenny's computer in the engine room. "Oh, uh, thirty by twenty-four by sixteen and three-quarters." 

"It couldn't be seventeen," Kova moaned. "Alright, team, here's the plan." 

Between the three of them, a majority of the larger panels were cut down to size. They didn't have to do much since Kova had sent them the size constraints. They were done in no time at all, and by that, I mean they were done in about four hours. Kova was the one who found the name of the ship. 

"Dad." Kova's voice came over Shiro's earpiece. She said it so urgently, it was hard to ignore. "Dad, it was them. This was their ship." Kova had sent another picture, letting it appear on the bridge screen. Shiro stared at the piece, hoping the words would morph and change. It didn't. 'ACHLYS' was still printed on the metal in Kova's hands. 

"Caleb!" Kova shouted, eyes darting around the somewhat chaotic scene. Jumping forward with the dinner plate-sized metal, she looked for her brother. 

"Don't yell." Caleb was rubbing his helmet, trying in vain to comfort his ear. "What happened?"

"I need to show you something."

"Can it wait?" Caleb rested his hands on his hips. "We need to finish this."

"No it can't wa—" Kova's foot slipped, making her fall on her butt much too hard for it being in space. "OW!"

"You okay?" Caleb checked his map on his arm piece. "Stay there, I'll be there soon. Allie is closer to you."

"I'm fi-AUGH!" 

"Don't hurt yourself," Allie said, already making careful jumps towards Kova until she was on top of her. Quite literally. Allie was on the debris above Kova's head. Just a quick jump and with a little help of her jet pack, Allie was on the lip of the hole Kova had fallen into. Kova could only stare at the smiling twelve-year-old. How come she gets to smile at her? 

"Don't look at me like that," Allie said, crouching down to be closer to Kova. "I'm only here to help." Reaching a hand forward, Allie increased the gravity of her suit. Kova was halfway up the wall, so close to the edge of the wall. "What is that?" Allie had looked up and let go of Kova's hand in shock, sending Kova tumbling back to the bottom. 

"Allie!" Kova scolded. Allie pointed to something behind Kova's head. Turning around, Kova expected it to be something else. Anything else. On the other side of the hole, there was a dark gray cruiser. The window was fogged over and dusty, its paint chipped and scratched on the bottom from a rocky landing, but it was in almost perfect condition. It was a perfect replica of the pictures of the failed expedition ten years ago. The original mission to investigate the Fire.

"Caleb!" Kova stumbled to stand and run towards the cruiser. The urgency in her voice had Caleb running. Allie slid down to join her, curious as to what exactly was inside the cruiser. 

"Kova, what's wrong with you?" Caleb all but shouted, jumping into the hole. The trio approached the cruiser. Caleb and Kova were more cautious than Allie was. Wiping the dust from the windows, Kova could barely see inside the dark pilot's seat. 

The pilot sitting inside was slumped over in the seat, a helmet still on their head. If the pilot was conscious, they didn't show it. 

"Their face shield is still on," Kova reported, lifting her head from the screen. She brought out her bayard, and it extended in her hand to something similar to Liz's weapon, except for one blade at one end of the staff. "We need to pop the cover."

Digging the blade into the crack, Kova and Caleb grabbed onto opposite sides and pushed down on the staff. The hood didn't budge. 

"Allie, please." 

"What if they're dead?" 

"Then we can give their family the news they spent ten years waiting for." Kova turned around to stare at the girl. She sighed and grabbed on. "Ready? One, two, push!" With Allie's help, the hood completely popped off the edge. Allie and Caleb stumbled to the ground, but Kova stayed on her feet, rushing towards the pilot. Cupping the face of the pilot, Kova turned their limp head. Her gasp grabbed Caleb's attention. 

"Kova, who is it?"

"Is it a skeleton? I can bear it if it's a skeleton." 

"It's," Kova said, looking at the man. Through the helmet's face shield, the teen could see the long, pointed scar on the pilot's right cheek. "Keith?" 

Hours later on the Coeus, every teen onboard had flocked to an observation room. The room itself was similar to a hospital room, with stark white walls and tile floors. Between Allie and Liz, they had managed to remove the helmet from Keith's head, laid him on a bed, and had a ventilator quickly hooked up. At least the medical equipment wasn't too far out-of-date. Kova, Caleb, and Cake couldn't move from the window as Liz and Allie worked. Even if he was brain-dead, he could still be returned to his family. Cake couldn't do anything but stare at the heart monitor, watching it spike over and over again. Allie had been scared of the noise at first, but it soon became a dull noise in the background. Caleb had been watching the girls work, tucking his hands into his pockets. Looking over at Kova, he couldn't tell where she was anymore. Oh sure, she was physically here and biting her thumb. Her attention, however, had been focused at a spot on the wall since they came in here. And her brain? Likely running through scenarios like crazy. If Keith is alive, then maybe the others are too? How would Kenny and Dad react? What is he's brain-dead and can't tell us his point of view of that day? What if he's not and forgot his memory? Caleb looked forward again, ignoring the scenarios. 

"It'll be fine," Caleb said. Kova blinked a few times and looked at Caleb, who was staring straight ahead. "We have to tell Kenny first. Then Dad."

"Tell Kenny what?" Speak of the devil. The teens had managed to make Kenny something a bit more casual for his stay. He had insisted on a green t-shirt, which he wore under his unbuttoned Garrison jacket and slacks. The young man looked at the window and his eyes widened in disbelief. 

"We found him in the cruiser during our scavenging." Kova lost the anxiety, lowering her hand from her mouth and widened her stance. "He was like that when we took him out." Kenny had been carefully approaching the window, pressing a hand against the glass. 

"It's been so long," He whispered. "I almost forgot what he looked like." 

"Allie and Liz are doing what they can." The girl approached from behind Kenny and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Standing behind them, Caleb noticed they were almost the same size, give or take a few inches. They stood there for a few solid minutes, staring ahead. 

"Where's the cruiser?" Kenny asked.

"We could only bring him in since we were so far from our Lions." 

"Could you, uh," Kenny brushed the girl's hand from his shoulder and cleared his throat. "Could you bring the navigation system?"

"You think we'll be able to track down the others?"

"If my mom was as smart as everyone claimed," Kenny looked at his dad again. "I have no doubt I'll find her." Kova turned to Caleb, who nodded his head. Now they had to get through to Shiro. 

Or not. 

The Red and Black Lions left the bay without a word to the other paladins. They returned to their spot on the rock from before and retraced their steps to the cruiser. Kova, unfortunately, found it the same way she had before. With her toolkit, she got to work on the inside of the cruiser. Caleb watched on, his bayard activated and in his hands. 

"Do you think he'll wake up?" 

"Who?"

"Keith." 

"Oh." Kova looked up from her work with furrowed brows. "There's no way to tell how long he'd been here, or how long he's been without proper oxygen levels." 

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, my dear brother," Kova returned to her work, relieved to be talking about something else. "Having a low oxygen level can cause a lot of problems, including confusion and organ failure."

"All I'm hearing is you want to harvest his organs."

"Don't be ridiculous." 

"What are you grabbing, exactly?"

"The navigational system. You were, like, two feet behind me."

"So? Doesn't mean I understood what you were saying." Kova groaned and rolled her eyes. 

"It might be possible to use the navigation to track the others." Caleb didn't say a word for a few minutes, letting the information properly sink in.

"WE'RE VOLTRON!" He had turned around and started yelling. "WE'RE SUPPOSED TO STOP THE FIRE! NOT SEARCH FOR THE CREW OF A LOST SPACESHIP!"

"And I understand your concerns," Kova replied as quietly as she could. "But this isn't for me."

"WHO ELSE COULD IT POSSIBLY BE FOR?"

"Well, Kenny and Cake to start with." Kova had propped an arm on her knee to stare at Caleb. "Then there's immediate family, extended family, friends of the lost, their—"

"Okay!" Caleb held his hands up in mock surrender. His bayard had returned to its original shape. "I get it!" 

Those hours were crucial to the Galra ship following the Coeus. They had been watching since the pair exited the Coeus, and they had a close eye on Caleb and his weapon. When it reverted back to its original shape, the soldiers were deployed.


	12. Eventful Days: III

Caleb had turned around to lift his hands in mock surrender. There was no way for him to see what had happened. 

Two soldiers, dressed in identical gray armor with purple insignias on the front chest plate, had taken Caleb by surprise. One of them knocked the butt of their weapon into Caleb’s back, holding him down at gunpoint. The other had charged towards Kova, still sitting in the cruiser. With a boost from her jet pack, Kova had jumped away from the soldier chasing her. Unfortunately, she couldn’t see inside the screen of the helmet, but they could see her. The crew onboard the Galra ship took quick pictures to send to their Emperor. 

While Captain Scars-a-lot had said he would get the girl, he never specified which. He had only assumed. Even now, he wasn’t sure that she was the girl. 

“Captain,” A voice from the doorway said. The Captain turned, already growling at the wormling who would have to grovel at his feet for interrupting him, but the threats quickly died on his tongue. The broad-shouldered man strode to the helm where the live feed of the soldiers’ helmet cams was rolling. 

“My Emperor.” The Captain bowed his head, placing a closed hand over his heart. “I was not aware of your presence." 

"If your men are incapable of handling her,” The Emperor said, staring at the wincing Captain. “I will not hold it against you.” The Captain’s eyes opened in surprise, expecting a threat. 

“She is but a little girl.” The ‘little girl’ had come out of her initial shock and summoned a shield, pushing the soldier away from her. With a backflip and an assist from her jet pack, she had landed just behind the other soldier and beat them away from the young man they were holding down. With both soldiers barely standing and the boy out of commission for a while, the girl summoned her bayard. It formed into a long, curved sword. 

“That 'little girl’ is Paladin of the Black Lion,” The Emperor crossed his hands behind his back. “Her skills in combat are almost unrivaled, by human or otherwise.”

“Who could rival her?”

“The young man your soldiers beat to the ground.” The Emperor’s smile, the only thing not covered by a dark shadow, had grown across his face. “And he’s only there because he was caught by surprise.”

Back on the space rock, Kova was shielding Caleb from above while glaring at the pair of Fire soldiers. Caleb, on the other hand, was trying to blink away the double vision. Groggily, Caleb lifted his head, taking out his bayard in return. Balancing it precariously on his knee, Caleb aimed and fired. He didn’t know which of the three small soldiers he had hit, but he hit one of them. 

“Jax to Coeus, I need assistance.” Caleb fired another shot, missing the smaller soldier by a few inches. “Repeat, Jax to Coeus, I need assistance.”

“Coeus to Jax, we hear you.” Activating her helmet cam to show the bridge what she was seeing, Caleb fired one more time. He had hit the smaller soldier directly in the chest plate, sending them back with a scream. The taller one of the two, the one that had come after Kova, hadn’t been deterred by this. Instead, he sped up. Kova’s shield had blocked the soldier from attacking her head-on, but it took away protection from Caleb. As the tall soldier landed in a crouch, he grabbed Caleb’s leg and pulled. With almost no effort, Caleb had been thrown to the other side of the cliff. Kova honestly didn’t want to stab someone today, but if she had to. The sword in her hand glinted dangerously, much to the soldier’s dismay. With bold, almost clean strokes, Kova lowered her shield, grabbed the handle of the bayard, and swung at the soldier. He jumped away, thinking he had jumped away just in time, evading Kova’s erratic swings. He took one last jump backward before getting his head knocked on by a rock in Caleb’s hand. Turning around, Caleb and Kova were back to back as the smaller soldier ran around them in circles, pushing them further from the edge. 

“Locate the Galra ship.” Kova was panting. 

“Liz.”

“On it.” Liz had busily been typing away codes for each of the cameras on the outside of the Coeus. There was nothing but deep, dark, and lonely space around them. “I don’t see anything, Colonel.”

“Keep trying.” Shiro had summoned the other teens and Kenny into the bridge when Kova’s plea came through. “Hang in there. Remember your summer training sessions.”

“This isn’t desert sand being thrown in our faces, Dad,” Caleb muttered. “It’s space rock dust that refuses to fall completely." 

"Oh, hello there,” Kova said, her bayard morphing again. It changed into a sharpshooter rifle, similar to the one Uncle Lance had taught her to use a few years back. Aiming, Kova found the body of the smaller soldier and fired. The soldier fell to the ground as Kova’s bayard returned to its original form. “On the count of three, jump out. Ready?” Caleb nodded his head behind her and steeled himself. 

“One?”

“Two.”

“Three!” The pair shouted at the same time, jumping out of the dust cloud. Kova was apprehensive, searching around the hole for anyone else. She had noticed the soldiers were gone, but it didn’t put her at ease. 

“Gah!” Caleb’s voice. Directly behind her. Turning around, Kova could only glare. 

Caleb was held in a chokehold with his hands pressed into his back by someone else. The man had dark brown eyes and dark hair that bordered on black. The man’s pale arms were exposed in a sleeveless gray vest and tight dark gray pants tucked into calf-length boots. As he turned up to stare the girl, he made sure Kova saw the sharp fangs in the man’s exposed smile. Switching hands on her bayard, Kova held it up as it morphed again. It elongated vertically to form a longbow. Pulling the string back, an arrow made of purple quintessence had formed. 

The teens onboard the Coeus were on the edges of their seats, hoping the audio wasn’t as bad in quality as the video. Neither Shiro nor Kenny could make out the face of the strange man holding Caleb captive. 

“What do you want?” Kova growled, glaring at the man with intensity. Liz glanced at Shiro before looking back. Kova knew this guy?

“Oh, come on now,” The man said much too casually for Kova’s taste. “I’m just seeing what I was replaced with. No need to throw a fuss.”

“Let. Him. Go. I won’t ask again.”

“I’m sure.” The man’s smile never wavered, even when the quintessence arrow created a dent in the wall just behind his head. Kova pulled back the string, another arrow forming. 

“That was your only warning." 

"You’re no fun, Ky.” The man grabbed both of Caleb’s cheeks and turned this face towards his own. “Tell me the truth, is she always like this?” Caleb didn’t respond. With an exasperated sigh, the man turned to meet Kova’s glare. “I have every intention of letting him go.”

“Then do it.”

“I will.” The man shifted on his foot. “As soon as you answer a burning question of mine.”

“No.”

“Then say goodbye to your so-called brother.”

“You wouldn’t dare.” Kova aimed at the man’s head. Caleb knew Kova’s aim was good, but that was on Earth. How good would quintessence arrows hit him in zero gravity? The man froze behind Caleb, studying Kova’s movements. 

“How about a proposition?”

“No.”

“Oh, come on, Ky. You’ll like it.”

“Stop calling me that.”

“You can ask me your question first if you’d like.” The man’s toothy grin returned, watching Kova try not to have a brain aneurysm. She stood unwavering for a few minutes, thinking carefully. “She always did this,” the man whispered to the teen in his clutches. “Think so hard, her brain explodes from the pressure.”

“If you are who I think you are,” Kova started her question and the man perked up. “Are you the leader of the Fire?" 

"Aww, I knew your question would be carefully worded like that.” The man, who had been resting his head on Caleb’s shoulder stood to his full height, showing off two long scars on his cheeks. “I am who you think I am, and I am Emperor Yorak of the Fire." 

On the Coeus, Shiro slammed his fist onto the face of the console at the helm, making everyone jump. Kenny was startled, but he couldn’t tear his eyes from the screen. Soon enough, every teens’ eyes returned to the screen. To Kova’s encounter. 

Kova was shaking her head, wrinkling her nose. Yorak, as they had come to find out, was tilting his head to the side, almost as though he was trying to figure out what Kova was doing. Caleb tried shaking himself free from Yorak’s grasp, but it was instead tightened. 

"Little Ky doesn’t know what to do now that her greatest fear was confirmed,” Yorak said mockingly. 

“Stop calling me that!” Kova all but shouted. “What’s your question?”

“Finally.” Yorak overdramatically sighed and rolled his eyes. “My question is simple, Kyla.” Kova sneered, almost near tempted to fire again. 

“Kova, don’t,” Caleb whispered, hoping he could hear her. 

“Yes, Kyla, listen to your so-called brother.” Kova stayed silent, trying to press down her anger. “Tell me, Kyla. Have you forgiven our dear old parents and me for leaving you behind and alone?”

Kova thought she was prepared for the question. She thought she could handle it, but knowing Kenny was onboard and listening made it harder. 

Pulling back the string harder and letting it go, the arrow flew towards Yorak’s stupid smiling face as he let go and pushed Caleb forward. Beaming himself up, he wasn’t around to see Kova’s internal and soon physical struggle as she collapsed onto her knees. 

Yorak had arrived in his private chambers as the Captain looked on. The quintessence arrow hit its mark, leaving a small slice on Yorak’s right cheek. 

“My Lord!” The Captain had been watching the entire exchange. “I’ll have soldiers deployed immediately! The girl should have answered your question!”

“There’s no need, Seklok,” Yorak said, wiping the blood from his cheek. “This was answer enough." 

"But my Lord—”

“Are you questioning me?” Yorak had turned to look down on the Captain, who had bowed his head. 

“No, milord.” They stood there for a few seconds. Seklok, or Captain Scars-a-lot, whichever you prefer, was afraid the Emperor would punish him for disobeying orders. 

“Leave me be.”

“Yes sir.” Quicker than space mice afraid of the light, Yorak was alone. At least he had the satisfaction of breaking her down. 

The Lions had returned to the Coeus, and all Kova wanted to do was sleep. She was walking with a limp because unbeknownst to her, Caleb hadn’t properly set up his weapon. The pushback had fallen entirely on Kova’s knee, which the initial adrenaline had numbed. 

“Kova, Caleb.” Shiro’s stern voice came from down the hallway. “In my quarters. Now." 

Following Shiro, the door closed behind them. The room they had walked into was a room the teens had just passed by since it was in the way of the bedroom. Set up like his office back home, Shiro stood behind the console that stood in for his desk and laid his hands on it. Staring at the teens, he was trying to find a point to start his tirade. 

Outside the closed doors, the other teens had their ears pressed into the crack, hoping to pick up on some sort of conversation. Allie thought it was strange, but she joined right in. Kenny hadn’t moved from the chair in the bridge, staring ahead blankly and no one wanted to bother him while he was lost in thought. 

"Where do I even begin?” Shiro began. There were no chairs, so the teens were forced to stand. Kova had her head bowed while Caleb was staring at a spot in the wall. “You can’t just decide that you can pick and leave without informing me first. I had to find out from Ken. What would’ve happened if I hadn’t responded to your call in time?" 

"Dad, can we—” Caleb tried to say.

“I don’t ask for much. Just to be informed is enough, but then this bombshell happens.” Shiro turned to Kova’s bowed head. “How are you going to explain this one away? It’s one thing to disobey my orders, but it’s another if you don’t deny what he said.”

Kova mumbled something under her breath, leaving Caleb wide-eyed. Turning her head up a little, Shiro could see Kova’s eyes were closed. 

“What was that?” Shiro fed into the anger she was trying to control. 

“Open the classified trio,” Kova said, opening her eyes. Caleb could swear that you could’ve heard a pin drop if there was one. 

“No.” Shiro’s voice was a warning. 

“I told you before, this team won’t fight against an enemy they know nothing about.”

“Why do you need the files opened? What’s your evidence?”

“What more evidence do you need?” Kova scoffed. “Keith is alive after all these years, Yorak is Emperor of the Fire, and this marks our third Fire attack.” Kova’s voice grew louder with every word, with more power than the last. 

“Those files are classified for a reason!" 

"And the team should’ve been informed from the start!" 

"Opening the trio will expose too many loose threads.”

“And opening only one will lead to forcibly opening the others!”

“Kova, I’m not opening any of the case files.”

“He called me out by birth name. Did you let me stare at his picture for fun?" 

"Kova.”

“Opening the trio will do us more good than harm. We’ll know what we’re looking for.”

“You were allowed to look at the files because you’re my kids.”

“Oh, so not because I’m part of the problem?”

“You aren’t part of the problem.”

“Then authorize. The opening. Of the files.” Even limping, Kova didn’t lose her attitude. Shiro didn’t appreciate it as much. 

“I’m your dad. This is for your safety, Kova.”

“It’s a good thing I’m not even your kid then!” Caleb clapped a hand over his mouth watching as hurt filled Shiro’s eyes. Kova had looked away from his eyes, knowing she’d break otherwise. She was breathing hard. The teens outside had looks of shock on their faces. No one said a word for a good minute. The constant hum of the ship filled the void, but it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t enough to drown out the voices of the past. 

“Kova,” Shiro began. 

“Open the case files,” Kova muttered, refusing to meet Shiro’s eyes. “Cake needs to know what happened to his dad.” She looked up to meet Shiro’s eyes, fighting back tears. “Kenny needs to know what his brother got into.” At the mention of Kenny, Shiro shook himself out of his stupor. 

“I am not authorizing the release of the trio.”

“Give the team the full authorization,” Kova’s threat began. Her fists were balled at her sides. “Or officially expel me from the Garrison." 

Outside the doors, Cake and Liz audibly gasped under their breath. Allie was shocked too but confused at the reactions of the others. Liz, who had been listening from above Cake’s head, pushed herself away from the door. Cake met her eyes and nodded her understanding. An unspoken agreement between the engineers. With a deep breath, Liz calmed her thoughts and returned her ear to the door. 

"One way or the other, I’m telling them.” Kova hadn’t moved. Neither had Caleb, who was frozen in place at Kova’s ultimatum. Shiro’s eyes widened briefly before he sighed and broke his gaze from Kova. 

“To your rooms. We’ll reconvene in the morning.” Shiro watched as the teens walked towards the door and left. 

Liz, Cake, and Allie had ducked to either side of the doorframe, hoping the Colonel wouldn’t see them. Kova and Caleb marched past them without a word, nor any sort of acknowledgment they were there. Kova looked angrier than any of them had ever seen her. In a rash attempt for some sort of information, Liz grabbed Caleb’s arm before the pair entered their respective rooms. Caleb’s baby blues met Liz’s brown ones and she visibly became more flustered. 

“I’m sorry, Cap, I just, uh,” Liz looked on in a wide-eyed stare. A shake of her head and the words came more smoothly. “We had a few questions.” Caleb sighed, leaning on the doorframe outside his room. Kova had already gone inside. 

“Is her threat real?” Cake asked, and Caleb’s shoulders sagged. He nodded, resting his head on the wall. 

“Will those files help us defeat the Fire?” Liz asked. Caleb nodded again. Allie knew it was her turn, but she couldn’t think of a good question. Not when Caleb looked exhausted. 

“Will the opening of the files delay our arrival at the space mall?” She asked. Caleb could only stare at her, lifting his head. He smiled and let a small laugh escape. He shook his head. Pushing himself off the wall, he waved at the other teens and walked into his room. Allie, Cake, and Liz stood in the hallway. When they left, Allie insisted on taking the first shift. Between her and Liz, they should be able to care for Keith until he wakes up from this coma, taking a few hour shifts. 

_If_ he ever wakes up.


	13. Impending Difficulties: I

It had only been a few hours, but Kenny’s brain couldn’t seem to process anything but the encounter from before. 

It had been years. 

His grandfather never spoke about either of Kenny’s siblings, never mentioned them, or even what had happened to them. During the launch of the failed mission, the one Kenny’s parents never came back from, he found it weird that he didn’t see his sister. His parents asked him about it but he could only shrug. He hadn’t seen her in three years at that point. It was her birthday, but Kenny suspected they didn’t know. 

Every memory Kenny had stored away in his brain was being taken out and being sorted through again. Unfortunately, the reason for the resorting came up empty when Kenny couldn’t find what he needed. 

He couldn’t remember his sister’s face. 

Allie, who had been wandering the ship and the only one awake, passed by the bridge. Seeing Kenny leaned over, she thought nothing of it. This was the fifth time she passed the bridge, and Kenny still hadn’t moved. On the sixth pass, Allie had two large cups. One of them had a tea bag string over the rim, the other did not. Both drinks were steaming and brown, albeit two different shades. 

With careful steps, Allie placed the cup with the teabag on the console desk in front of Kenny and walked away without another word. The pager on her belt made a sound, and Allie walked towards the observation room. 

In Kenny’s mind, a brightness came over his memories. 

Laughter rang out in the juniberry fields on Uncle Lance’s farm, chasing a dwarf around. Black hair in pigtails and a dress covered in red poppies. Tripping over something in the fields, Kenny landed face-first in the juniberries. Instead of complaining and standing up, he rolled over in the fields and stared at the never-ending blue sky. The dwarf he had been chasing toddled towards him with the biggest smile on her face. Letting a small giggle, she smacked her hand on Kenny’s forehead. He laughed at the smack, staring at her face. It was blurry. He couldn’t see anything past that big smile. 

“Klance!” A delighted squeal came from her mouth and she once again toddled forward. 

“Kenny, you okay?” Uncle Lance asked, bending over the fallen boy. His arms went to the little girl’s waist and she was pulled higher and higher. Her squeals didn’t seem to stop. 

“Yeah, I’m okay.” Kenny used a hand to shield himself from the glaring sun to stare at his uncle and the little girl. She had turned her head away from Kenny, staring at something behind them. 

“Good.” Lance readjusted the girl, who turned her focus to the man who had moved her from her perch on Lance’s hip. “ _Ahora te paras o te paro_!” In a flash, Kenny had stood, running towards Uncle Lance’s house where the other farmhands (or cousins who needed something to do in the summer) were heading. Looking back at fields he’d left, Kenny saw the little girl had laid her head on Uncle Lance’s shoulder, turning away again. 

In another memory, Kenny was sitting at a dinner table. The book work in front of him was unreadable, but he was counting his lucky stars that he wouldn’t be doing whatever his brother was doing at the head of the table. The boy at the head had dark hair, wearing a red jacket with a green stripe around the middle. In front of him was an array of wires and connectors with a light bulb and two switches. One of the papers in front of Kenny was the answer sheet to his brother’s problem. 

“Hey, Ky.” The boy had looked up and said. Turning to a doorway that led to bedrooms, the little girl from before was rubbing her eyes. Her hair was a little longer but still styled in pigtails. Her jammies were a vibrant shade of seafoam, a gift from Uncle Lance. “Did we wake you up?” Without saying a word, the girl approached the boy, and he pulled her into his lap. She stared at the circuit board with bright, curious eyes. She noticed something off to the side and grabbed it. Attaching it to connectors in between the switches, she pointed at the switch to her right. Complying, the boy flipped the switch, and the light bulb lit. His face said it all. He had no idea what he was doing wrong. 

“Ky, what did you do?” By this point, the girl had covered her addition with her hands to keep it out of view of the boy. When she went to point, Kenny saw what it was. With a flourish, she held her hands up and almost smacked the older boy in the face.

“You were missing a power source,” Kenny said for the girl, who had let her arms fall to her side and looked up at the boy. He had started rubbing his head, staring at the battery. Kenny remembered he was taking a double course load, something no one had done without losing sleep or sanity. 

“Kyla!” Kenny’s mom came around the corner. Her brown hair was pulled into a ponytail and her eyes matched the girl. The green long-sleeved shirt and the oversized gray coat was a signature for her, along with the transition lenses over her eyes. “Leave your brothers alone!”

“Mom, stop.” The boy sighed, leaning back in the chair. The little girl, Kyla, had bowed her head and her eyes became glassy. 

“She’s a _kid_! What _can_ she do?”

“C'mon, Ky.” Kenny stood, walking towards the now upset little girl. “Don’t listen to Pidge, she’s just upset,” He said much quieter, lifting the little girl. Her arms wrapped around Kenny’s neck and her head leaned into his shoulder. Taking her back to her room, Kenny pulled aside the dark gray comforter covered in white stars and the white sheet underneath covered in gray astronauts. The little girl hung on for dear life as she sat on the bed. Unwrapping her arms from his neck, Kenny looked into her eyes, which had dimmed. Reluctantly, she laid her head down on the pillows and fell asleep.

A hand on his shoulder startled the poor man. Returning to reality, his eyes took in the sight of the bridge. Following the hand on his shoulder, he met a pair of jarringly familiar brown eyes. Even if they weren’t as bright nor as curious as they once were, they matched his mom’s eyes. 

“Kenny,” Kova repeated, trying to get the young man’s attention. He stared at her like she was the object he had been looking for his entire life. Pulling a tissue from the box Allie had brought by earlier, she patted Kenny’s tear-stained cheeks. 

“Will he be alright?” Allie asked, arms crossed. After checking on Keith, she had passed by a few more times. When she found Kenny crying, she left a tissue box and ran for Kova’s room. 

“Kenneth? You have to breathe.” Kova said to the young man instead. He was taking shuddering breaths, just roaming over Kova’s face. 

“Kyla?” He whispered under his breath. Kova met his eyes with shock, then defensiveness, finally with acceptance. She didn’t nod, nor did she shake her head. 

“C'mon, Ken.” Pulling on Kenny’s hands, Kova stood. “Let’s get you to bed.” Kova walked Kenny to the door, with Allie following close behind with the box. 

————————————————————

In the morning, Kova was determined to let the others know, with or without the Colonel’s approval. Speaking of the Colonel, he had thought long and hard about Kova’s words. Shiro knew Kova was serious. She didn’t fight orders unless she deemed it necessary for a specific reason. 

She fought patrol officers when they tried to restrain students to Garrison grounds. 

She fought her commanding officer when Caleb and her groups teamed up for training purposes. 

She even fought Curtis when he tried to stop the pair from taking little Cyrus to the McClain’s farm when he and Shiro were on vacation. 

In every event, Kova won the fight. She was smart, strong, and dealt with any consequences that would come. 

Other students tried using Kova as a scapegoat and immediately realized why she had permission to leave Garrison grounds. They didn’t appreciate the unpaid work on McClain’s farm as much as Kova did. 

The commanding officer purposely gave the teams the hardest jobs on school grounds to make the others leave. They stayed intact until the last quarter when Jazz transferred to a more traditional school setting and Allie became her replacement. 

With the last one, while Kova had to be the one to bathe Cyrus after falling butt-first into a mound of freshly scooped cow droppings, she didn’t complain. 

Kova sat through breakfast without a word to anyone, eating from the small bag of assorted nuts and dried fruit she snuck onboard. Cake and Liz exchanged nervous looks, while Allie stared at Kenny nibbling on an Arusian fruit. 

At least it wasn’t whatever beverage the Arusians packed for them. 

When finished, Kova stood and walked towards the bridge. Without saying a word, the others followed. They were in their respective seats while Kenny sat in his corner as they stared at the slowly changing sky. 

Shiro walked into the bridge, descended the staircase, and went right up to the window. Kova stared at the back of his head, daring him to try to tell her no. 

Turning around, his eyes met hers. A tense minute. 

Cake nervously looked from Shiro to Kova and back again. Caleb was tense, ready to hold someone back. Liz followed this sentiment with her bayard in hand. Allie had a first aid kit under her console if a fight did break out. Kenny was lost, staring ahead. 

Shiro broke the stare with a sigh. Looking up again, he said, “Tell them." 

Opening a program on her console, Shiro walked forward so he wasn’t covering the screen. On-screen, three folders appeared with different titles. 

The first read ‘ACHLYS MISSION’. The second read 'FIRE REVIVAL’. The third was simply 'KHKH’. 

Typing away at her console, the first folder opened. Documents, pictures, and a video file fell into order on the screen. Clicking on a particular picture, Shiro looked away.

The ACHLYS was standing tall and proud, most notably intact. In front of it stood five people. From left to right, a woman with medium-length brown hair pulled into a braid. She had an arm around the waist of the man to her left, who was a full head taller than her with a scar on his right cheek and black hair tied into a ponytail. A gloved hand was on the shoulder of the Colonel, who had a hand tucked into his pants pocket. The man on the other side of the Colonel had tan skin and cropped brown hair. The last man also had cropped hair, black in color, and was much darker than the man next to him. Four of the five people in the picture wore matching orange, gray, and white suits. The men to the Colonel’s left had helmets in their hands, while the ones to his right didn’t. 

"Pictured left to right: Katie Holt, Keith Kogane, Colonel Takashi Shirogane, Lance McClain, and Hunk Garrett.” Liz read aloud, squinting to read the caption. Kova opened a document file and it appeared beside the picture. In big bold letters, the word 'CLASSIFIED’ was stamped onto the page. The top read 'INCIDENT REPORT & DISAPPEARANCE OF ACHLYS CREW’.

“I was right.” Cake turned in his seat to stare at Kova. “You _did_ know what happened." 

"We weren’t supposed to say anything,” Caleb replied instead. 

“The ACHLYS was ambushed,” Shiro said, staring at the picture. “According to evidence collected, the crew escaped in pods, but never made contact.”

“What evidence?” Shiro stayed silent. “I thought we were learning everything, so why—”

“Lance was the only one of the four that returned to Earth. His pod was used to locate the others, but it was unsuccessful. It was too dangerous to continue.”

“But we found Keith! He’s alive, right?” Cake turned his attention to Liz and Allie. Both girls were staring at the small devices in their hands. Something of Liz’s creation used to monitor Keith’s monitor. If there was a too high spike, a too low valley, or a change in anything, it would alert them both. 

Keith had been unresponsive and stable since he had been brought on. 

“My dad could still be—”

“Cake,” Kova said. Her voice was firm, staring straight ahead. “The ACHLYS was ambushed by the Fire after an initial recon by Keith and Pidge.” Cake became quiet, turning to the screen. 

Closing the file, Kova opened the second folder. Possibly even more documents came from the folder, many of them with the same 'CLASSIFIED’ stamped onto them. 

Opening a picture file, it showed a crazed timeline of events leading up to the ambush Kova mentioned. Kova was adding onto it. 

At the top of the chain was a Galra with huge fluffy purple ears that seemed to curve like horns. A robotic eye replaced their left eye while their right eye was entirely yellow. Under his picture, the nametag read 'SENDAK: DECEASED; FORMER’. A red line pointed down towards a second Galra. Or Altean. You couldn’t really tell. The being in the picture had an almost gray skin tone with yellow sclera and dark irises and pupils. Their ears were pointed, a long chain earring running from the tip to the lobe. Below, their name tag read 'RALAN: ALIVE; CURRENT’. There was no line connecting Ralan to anyone else on the board. 

Taking footage from her helmet cam, Kova changed a few details. Adding a picture of Yorak to the board and connecting a line from Ralan to Yorak, Kova changed the nametags. The 'CURRENT’ changed to 'FORMER’ and Yorak received an 'ALIVE; CURRENT’. 

“Chain of command,” Caleb said. Allie had turned around to look at him with a question in her eyes. She turned back around, studying Ralan’s face. 

“Ralan?” Allie whispered to herself, seemingly trying to find the memory of this man. “Was he a general or a guard?”

“Allie,” Shiro turned. “Do you have something to add?” Allie stared at the Colonel. 

“It may be in your best interest to contact the Emperor of Altea concerning Ralan.” It was all she was able to say before twin pagers went off. Allie stood and raced towards the observation bay. 

When Allie left, Shiro began to push down his feelings and started explaining more in-depth what the mission against the Fire was about. Liz and Cake would interject here and there, saying the Coeus and Voltron should fight when instigated. Shiro reminded them that while Kova can be as reckless as she wanted, they weren’t to go against the Colonel’s direct orders. 

The Fire’s revival began a few decades ago, staying mostly unknown until the recon mission. Yorak’s concerned parents, Keith and Pidge, had gone after him because they had reason to believe he was working with an organization that threatened the peace in the universe. The recon mission Keith and Pidge were on took a full calendar year to complete. They had reported a small organization, but it was well-armed. On a vote, all former members of the original legendary defender would be suited up to go. Keith and Pidge ran their own organizations, Lance occasionally served as ambassador to Altea but traded often with Alteans, and Hunk had relinquished most control of his culinary empire to head chefs in individual restaurants. The last former member, Shiro, had been offered the Headmaster position at the Garrison, and he didn’t turn it down. The ACHLYS was completed in two years after Keith and Pidge returned, and the launch was televised all over the country. It had been months after the mission had launched, and there were routine communications between the ACHLYS and the Garrison, now under Shiro’s command. One day, the communications stopped. 

There was no response. Not even static. Just silence. Nothing. 

Then, on the one year anniversary of the launch, two students reported and assisted a pilot from an escape pod bearing the silent ship’s name. The pilot inside was Lance and the students were Kova and Caleb on their way to the green for lunch when they spotted the incoming ship. Neither said a word. 

Before Kova could open the last file, everyone on the Coeus had slammed into the nearest object to their right. For Liz and Cake, it was the floor and Kova’s pedestal. For Kenny, it was pressing further into a wall. And for everyone else, they had shoulders pressed sharply to the walls. Liz paged for Allie and the crew of the Coeus began defending their ship.


	14. Impending Difficulties: II

Liz was in the observation bay, watching over Keith and his condition. A blast from the right sent Liz flying to the nearest wall. Keith, on the other hand, was strapped firmly into bed and his bed was stationary. With a growl, Liz stomped towards the bridge.

“Why. Do. They. Keep. Attacking. Us.” Liz said with every stomp, yelling at the others. Shiro didn’t want others knowing Voltron was in the bay, leaving the teen next to defenseless. Cake and Kova understood Liz’s annoyance best. They were on near-daily trips outside to repair the Coeus’s exterior. They were starting to run low. 

“Can I get cameras?” Kova asked. Liz rolled her eyes and brought up the camera feed from her console. While not as large as the previous attackers, it bore a striking difference. A Zaiforge cannon. 

“Oh, c'mon!” Liz threw up her hands. “I thought those were discontinued and destroyed after the war!”

“I did, too.” Kova glared at the image. 

“Are you sure? Or is it another thing you’re hiding from us?” Despite the comment, Kova remained level. Somewhere in between the chaos, Kova had suited up. 

“I’m heading out! Caleb, you’re in charge!” She yelled as she ran towards the bay. Shiro was standing in the doorway, arms crossed and firm. Kova slid in between Shiro’s legs, ramming her legs into the wall, but she had little difficulty outrunning Shiro. The Black Lion emerged from the bay, flew under the belly of the Coeus to surprise the Galra ship from behind. 

Shiro said nothing, watching as Kova dealt with the ship. The Coeus continued blasting, and the Galra ship retaliated. The Black Lion dug its claws into the Galra ship without much trouble. Leaving claw marks in its wake, the Black Lion stalked its way to the cannon, beginning to glow purple. A slice across the bridge between the ship and the cannon had made the cannon implode on itself. Those onboard cowered as the Lion flew away, batting the ship around with a giant paw. As soon as the ship stopped spinning violently, they fled the scene. With a sigh, Kova returned to the Coeus. She didn’t say anything as she passed Shiro on her way to her room. She knew she was grounded and didn’t need Shiro to say it. 

The other four sat in the bridge. Between the late-night attacks, the surplus of information bleeding from their ears to the floor, and trying to fight without forming Voltron is starting to wear on the teens. They sat in complete silence, Liz and Allie watching their pagers carefully. 

“Permission for a review of relevant information?” Cake asked, breaking the silence. He was looking at Caleb as best he could from his perch. 

“Granted.” Caleb nodded, pushing a button on his console. “All staff, please report to the bridge.” Caleb had the evilest smirk on his face as he said those words, trying to copy Kova’s tone. 

Shiro and Kenny walked in at the same time. Kova walked in a few seconds after with a smirk on her face. She was re-braiding her hair. 

“What’s this about?” Shiro asked. 

“Review of relevant information requested by Cake and approved by me.” Caleb had turned off his console as Kova approached her own. She didn’t reopen the files. Instead, she opened a document that contained most of the overlapping information and the chain of command. 

“The Fire is the revival of a resistance group formed during the War of the Universe. Formerly led by Commander Sendak of the Galra fleet, it was believed the group had died along with their leader. Almost ten years ago, it was discovered Ralan had taken over the Fire’s operations after continuous reports of missing teenagers and people were brought before the Garrison council. All missing were of half-Galra status, leading to a recon mission led by Captain Keith Kogane from the Blade of Marmora and Katie ‘Pidge’ Holt, one of the founders of the Legendary Defender Program at the Garrison. Their reports were seriously underestimated from the real numbers, and when it was time for the real mission, the crew became overwhelmed and fled before it was destroyed. The only clue to the ambush came from Lance McClain, owner of McClain Farms, who had crash-landed on Earth on the first anniversary of the flight. Until recently, it was believed Ralan was in charge of the large numbers, and it was suspected that the missing half-Galra had joined the Fire.”

“That’s a bold assumption,” Liz said. Kova had been placing all the information on the board for everyone to see, going over everything. “Why are they assumed to have joined the Fire?”

“Reasons,” Kova, Cake, and Allie all said at the same time. 

“The Fire began as a group reinforcing the belief that the Galra were better than everyone else. The assumption isn’t unreasonable, especially since Ralan was half-Galra.”

“Ralan’s successor is half-Galra, too.” Caleb chimed in. This seemed to satisfy Liz, as she turned back to the screen. “The current Galra leaders should be aware of the situation, correct?” He looked to Kova, who had looked to Shiro. Shiro was staring at the screen, refusing to meet the teens’ eyes. 

“Do the Galra representatives know about the half-Galra disappearances?” Kova was now glaring. 

“There have been no status updates to or from the Galra representatives,” Shiro replied. Kova was about to explode.

“If the Galra weren’t informed, then what about the others in the Coalition?!” Allie’s outburst gained everyone’s attention. “The Altean Emperor would be the first to know about Ralan’s background! There’s an entire village filled with half-breeds from all over the galaxy! Their entire lives and livelihoods were in danger then, and still are in danger now, but trying to keep this yourself has just-just, uh,” Allie noticed the eyes on her, her tirade coming to an end. Such a small girl, such strong opinions. “I’m going to get my, uh, med bag.” She slinked to the door and scurried away. 

“That was,” Caleb began. 

“Unexpected.” Kova nodded. “Nonetheless, she’s right. If Daibaazaal wasn’t informed, then it’s safe to assume the other planets in the Coalition weren’t either. Anyway, without Allie here, we can’t continue. Meeting adjourned.”

“Aww, but I wanted to ask my question!” Liz complained. The pager lit up and made a sound. Staring at it, Liz turned to the others. “I think he’s waking up.”

————————————

“D-do I have to?” Allie was clutching the handle of her med bag tightly. 

“You’re the one with relevant medical training onboard.” Kova was walking beside the girl. “I’m on the other side of the door if anything happens.”

“What if he becomes belligerent?”

“I’m shocked you know the word.” Kova sighed as they became closer to the observation bay. “As I said, I’m on the other side of the door.” Allie nodded and stared at the door between her and her patient. 

“He killed a man!” Allie protested again. Kova put an arm around Allie’s shoulders, bringing a blush to the girl’s face. 

“So have I,” Kova whispered into Allie’s ear, making the girl’s face beet red. Smiling at her reaction, Kova kept her arm around her shoulders. “He’s out of practice. I’m not. He’ll be down in a tick.” Kova’s confidence reassured the younger girl. She nodded, gathering her courage, and the door opened. 

During the earlier encounter, the straps that had been used to keep Keith in bed had tightened. The spike Allie and Liz saw, upon closer inspection, was caused by a strap cutting across an exposed patch of skin of his arm. While expected he would feel pain, the teens were better safe than sorry to unstrap Keith. 

Allie whimpered as the door closed behind her, trying to take deep breaths to calm herself. Before she could treat him, she had to unstrap him. 

“He’s unconscious,” she whispered to herself. “He’s not dangerous at all.” Approaching Keith’s bedside, Allie made quick work of the strap buckles. The two over his torso fell unceremoniously, Allie catching the buckles before they could hit the floor. She began rolling them up just in case of further use. 

Caleb appeared beside Kova. Kova had her arms crossed while Caleb had a hand on his hip. They both stared at the girl and the unconscious man in the hospital bed. 

“Do you think he’ll wake up?” Caleb asked. 

“Depends on who you ask.” Kova rolled her neck. “The soldier knows it could go either way, the pilot wants to learn all his tricks, and the kid doesn’t have anything nice to say.”

Caleb scoffed. “When does she ever?”

“I want him to wake up for Dad’s sake, but I also want him to lose his memory. I want to start over with him.”

“Dad and Pops would understand if you chose them." 

"They made the choice ten years ago. It’s done.”

A loud clang on the tile distracted the teens from their conversation. Allie had dropped the buckle and straps that went over his legs. A loud curse left her mouth as she picked it up from the floor. Now set aside, all that was left to do was care for Keith’s injuries. Taking a closer look at the two-inch smear across his right bicep, Allie figured a cleaning and disinfecting should bring the cut closer to an inch. Pulling her bag closer to her, she looked up at the man’s face. One glance. It was all it took. From facing the ceiling one second to turning his head and glaring at the young Altean. 

Rightfully terrifying, Allie screamed. Her arms went over her head as Keith ripped the sheets away from his body. 

“Allie!” Kova yelled. Caleb ran off to grab Shiro, who was likely sulking in his office on the other side of the ship. 

Keith, by the looks of it, was trying to regain his senses. A foot out of bed and he lost his balance. Kova ran, or slid, to the girl grabbing her by the arms and pushing her back. Realizing it was Kova and not an insane maniac, Allie followed Kova’s movements. With the med bag in hand, the door slammed in between Kova and Allie. Allie stood in shock at the events, jumping at Liz’s touch. She was looking the younger girl over for injuries. Finding none, Liz led Allie to the window. 

“Keith,” Kova said. She had dressed in her armor so the retired soldier couldn’t grab onto anything. He didn’t seem to appreciate it. Keith’s pupils and irises had turned into dark slits across the width of his now glowing yellow sclera. His teeth were bared at the teen. They circled each other, neither attacking. 

“He, uh, he isn’t really going to attack her, is he?” Allie asked, looking to Liz. 

“He isn’t in any condition to fight. Kova would know this.” Liz could offer. 

The pair were circling each other, Keith’s steps becoming steadier with every step. He unleashed a snarl, lunging towards Kova. With a handspring and a roll, Kova had managed to get away from his hands. Keith, once again, didn’t seem to appreciate this. A guttural growl escaped him and he lunged again. Kova could only outrun for so long, especially when he was in this state. Kova was on the furthest wall from the door. Keith, on the other side of the bed, began to climb over it towards the teen. 

“Keith Kogane,” Kova tried reasoning again because that worked so well the first time. “I don’t want to hurt you.” A laugh escaped him, shaking him. His body tensed. Caleb had just arrived with Shiro in tow. Waving to her, Caleb signaled to the door. Kova saw this, looking for anything to escape the predator in front of her. 

Thank Allura for hanging lights. 

As Keith dove forward, Kova jumped onto his back and grabbed the light, using it to swing across the room. She landed in a crouch behind Shiro, who had been pushed into the doorframe. Keith unleashed another snarl, every intention to run after the girl. He was met with a silver and blue arm holding him back. Following it upwards, Keith’s heavy breaths slowed. 

“Keith,” A voice above him said. “You’re my brother. I love you.” Keith met the voice’s eyes. With a blink, pinkish tones returned to his skin, his eyes returned to a blue-gray that matched Kenny’s. 

“Shiro?” Keith’s eyes were wide, holding the tall man at arm’s length. Shiro smiled at the astonishment in Keith’s eyes. The men stood there, staring at each other before embracing each other. The pair stood in silence, no one having the nerve to interrupt them. At least, no one but Kova. She stood up from her crouch, grabbing Allie by her upper arm and all but dragged her to the open doorway. 

Kova appeared behind Shiro, holding fast to Allie. “As tender as the moment is, he’s still bleeding out. Minor injury, but an injury nonetheless.” This broke the spell between the two. Keith stared at the Altean, who looked petrified, then to the teen wearing paladin armor. Shiro’s paladin armor. 

“Who are you?” Keith asked. Kova ignored him, grabbing his shoulders and pushing him towards the bed, which now met the wall closest to the doorway. Keith repeated his question. Kova once again ignored him, motioning for Allie to come closer. As Allie got closer, Keith grabbed a hold of the girl’s wrist. Allie screamed, dropping her med bag. Shiro kept the others from intruding, looking between Kova and Keith. “I’m not letting her anywhere near me until you tell me who you are and where I am!”

“I’m the pilot of the Black Lion, and you are safe.” Kova stood firm, maintaining eye contact with Keith. 

“Be.” Keith squeezed Allie’s wrist, exciting a yelp. “More.” His eyes flared, as did Kova’s. “Specific.”

“Officer Kova Shirogane, current pilot of the Black Lion. You are currently onboard the IGF Coeus. We are en route to the space mall to look for parts to repair our teleduv.” She crossed her arms. “You currently have a cut on your right arm that must be treated by one of our onboard medics while we prepare a cabin and clothes for you.” Keith squeezed Allie’s wrist again, holding her in an iron grip. 

“You’re lying. Shiro doesn’t have a kid.”

“You’ve been out a long time.” Kova took a step forward, ready to cut someone’s arm if she had to. “What do you know about the family?” Keith said nothing. “Until our medics deem you in safe physical condition, you are not to leave the med bay. Until then, you are to only communicate with myself, the Colonel, or one of the medics. Now let go." 

"Why should I take orders from a kid?” Keith complied with the command. Allie was rubbing her wrist, hoping a bruise wouldn’t appear. She still looked to Kova for her answer. 

“You’re not taking orders from a kid.” Kova had backed up, starting to walk away. “You’re taking orders from the leader of Voltron.” This seemed to anger Keith. 

“I’m pilot of the Black Lion!” He stood, yelling after the girl. She turned her head, the glint of eyes revealing her intentions. 

“You _were_.” She walked out the door, holding her head up high. “Clear out. Prepare to run drills in the morning.” Everyone except for Shiro and Allie left the med bay observation room, heading different places. Cake worked with Kenny for a few hours. Liz had gone to the kitchen to prepare something for Keith. Caleb followed Kova to the bridge. She typed away at her console, looking for the connection to Earth. The screen appeared as Caleb closed the door. 

“Hey, guys!” Curtis said much too cheerfully. “Guess what today is?” Kova and Caleb stared at Curtis with matching skeptical looks. 

“Is it Taco Tuesday?” Caleb asked. 

“No, it’s clearly Mystery Monday,” Kova replied, inciting a laugh from both. Curtis had gone off-screen. He called someone in the next room. Kova and Caleb had descended the stairs to the bridge floor. Curtis returned with a small boy, not much older than five or six. 

“Kova!” He yelled. “Caleb!" 

"Why am I always second?” Caleb muttered, but the smile never left. 

“Hey, Cy!” Kova said, hoping the young boy didn’t hear Caleb’s comment. He didn’t seem to. Instead, he stared at Kova’s outfit with excitement in his eyes. 

“Woah! You’re part of Voltron?!” Even from light-years away, Kova could see the stars in Cyrus’s eyes.

“Hey, I am too!” Caleb protested. A gasp escaped Cy. 

“My big sister _and_ my big brother is part of _Voltron_?” The little boy’s excitement only seemed to grow. “What colors?”

“Black.” Kova pointed to herself. 

“And red.” Caleb pointed to himself. If it were possible, the boy’s excitement only grew. 

“I’m gonna tell everyone that my big brother and my big sister are Voltron!” Cy spread his hands wide, emphasizing his point. Such a sweet boy, such a long way to go. 

“Were you guys going to tell me something?” Curtis asked, smoothing Cyrus’s wild dark hair. 

“Our guest woke up,” Kova said, watching Curtis’s eyes widen. He nodded an understanding. “We can tell the rest whenever we wake up.”

“Kova, Kova! Wait!” Cyrus exclaimed. 

“What’s wrong, Cy?”

“Are you going to come back? Papa says you’re in space." 

"Of course we’re going to come back.”

“Do you promise?” Kova didn’t make promises she wasn’t sure about. Caleb looked at Kova, who had a tender smile on her face. 

“I promise, Cy.”


	15. Impending Difficulties: III

The neutral glow that illuminated the Coeus was steady. Non-changing. The crew was in various locations throughout the ship. Then, like a switch, the glow turned from neutral white to red. As quickly as they could, every teen packed the essentials. Keith, Kova, Caleb, and Shiro were in the transport bay with the Lions, suited up and ready to go. One by one, the teens marched in. In Kova’s hand, a timer slowly counted down. First came Griffin, then Cake. They stood in silence for almost a minute when Allie ran in, panting for breath. 

“Sorry, I tried,” she said through pants. Griffin thought that was it. She thought this was their punishment. At the three-minute mark, Caleb and Kova still hadn’t said a word. They only stared at the timer, which was now counting negative time. 

“Are we done?” Griffin asked, earning her a look from Kova and an eyebrow raise from Caleb. Then, they heard it. Jingles. Metal scraping against each other. From the entrance of the transport bay, Kenny emerged. He had found or hung onto Allie’s large backpack from the beginning. The comically large bag was filled to the brim. Kenny was leaning on the door frame, his small body straining every non-existent muscle to hold up the large bag. He still managed to form the line beside the three other teens, and Kova finally stopped the timer. 

“The team fails the evacuation procedure.” At least Kova was as blunt as always. 

“It’s Allie’s fault, right?” Griffin asked. Allie’s eyes went wide.

“No.” It was Caleb’s turn. “Allie made it within the appropriate time. She would’ve likely been first to board her Lion, so she checked on Kenny.” At his name, the man stood upright. Kova approached him and showed the man her screen. It was -2:19. 

“Kenneth, evacuation is carry-on only. Not the entire workshop." 

"It is essential!” At his words, Kova poked a side of the bag. As it tipped off to the side, Kenny went along with it. 

“If it’s the money, I can understand.” Kova began.

“But if it’s random and easily replaceable parts from Allura knows where then I don’t.” Caleb finished. 

“What would _you_ know, Ladybug?” Kenny snarkily asked. Caleb didn’t take this lightly. His bayard was in his hand in a heartbeat and taking a step towards Kenny and his humongous bag. Thankfully Kova was there to hold him back. 

“While we’re gathered here, I have the honor to formally introduce Keith Kogane to the crew of the IGF Coeus,” Kova said in a monotone voice. With one hand, she was holding Caleb’s collar and in the other, she was staring at her phone. The screen was running the ship’s diagnostics, but she could’ve been looking at pictures of Cyrus if anyone cared. 

Kenny turned around to stare at the man. At some point, the teens found leftover fabric from Caleb’s chair cover that hadn’t been defaced by black spots. Cutting a hole in the middle of the roughly circular fabric, Keith wore it like a poncho. It covered most of his body, still clad in his bodysuit, and unbearably thin. Liz and Allie found a spare brush for him to borrow, prepared his meals, and tended to the bruising and sores all over his body. 

Even with all of that, it was still him. It was him. It was his dad. 

“Mr. Kogane—”

“Kova." 

"Keith, I would like to formally introduce you to the crew of the IGF Coeus.” Two stomps on the ground and the teens stood at attention. Kenny stared at them and followed, legs spread to better support the bag. “From left to right in order of entry, Cake Garrett, Eliza Griffin, Allura Smythe, and Kenneth Holt.”

“Kogane.” Kenny corrected. 

“Kenneth Kogane.” Kova turned to Keith, who was staring at the young man. Turning to stare at the two, Kova noticed they shared the same nose. Weird how genetics play out. 

“What, this, no, it can’t be.” Keith was stammering. He couldn’t find the words. “The last time I saw Ken was—”

“Almost ten years ago.” Kenny dropped the bag. Allie and Liz dove behind Cake. 

“No, you were sixteen. There’s no way.” Keith seemed adamant. This wasn’t his youngest son. “Junior was twenty, and Ezrid was eighteen.”

“Dad." 

"No, there’s no way." 

"Everyone’s dismissed. Continue regular duties.” Kova ordered. The other teens nodded and walked back to their rooms to drop off their backpacks. Kova dragged Caleb to the training deck below. Shiro grabbed a hold of Keith and Kenny’s shoulders and led them to the bridge, where he could explain what had happened. They were in there for about half an hour before they emerged. 

The teens were in the cafeteria, eating away at the Arusian and Balmeran food. At least, the still edible parts of it. Cake wondered aloud about the restaurant in the mall. It used to be called ‘Vrepit Sal’s’, but when it was taken over by Cake’s dad, it became 'Garrett & Sons’. 

“I thought you were the only son?” Allie asked. Cake’s eyes went wide. 

“If Dad’s still alive, I’ll be sure to introduce him to Talia." 

"Can you guys stop talking about good food?” Liz complained, rubbing her temples. “I’m getting sick of the fruits.”

“Your dad created his culinary empire with a play-on-words of the Galaxy Garrison?” Caleb asked. A nod from Cake. Caleb was going to make a quip, but Keith’s fist beat him to it. 

“You aren’t Hunk’s son,” Keith growled. 

“Sure, and I’m Altean.” Liz smiled, propping her chin into her hand. 

_‘Oh, uh, Varkon’ requests telecommunication_. 

“Let’s go change, guys!” Liz said, standing from the table. The other four followed her out, leaving Keith alone to stare after them. 

———————

“Thanks again for the parking space!” Shiro said. 

“Oh, it’s no problem at all!” Varkon was amicable. “Especially for a former member of Voltron!” The kids waved their thanks from a distance and walked into the mall. It hadn’t changed much, besides the blatant Voltron merch everywhere. Kova and Caleb walked away from the group for a minute to stare into a shop window. On display were plush versions of the Voltron Lions, as well as an action figure Voltron.

“Heh, don’t these sell for cheaper on Earth?”

“Dude, I have four of them hiding in the closet." 

"What?” Caleb stared at Kova. “No way! I’ve been in there so many times and I’ve never seen anything!”

“What were you doing in my closet?”

“What?" 

” _Can you two come back here?_ “ Shiro’s voice came over the earpieces. The teens took their time, interrogating and deflecting each other. Shiro was handing a colored bracelet to Kenny when they started running. 

"NO!”

“DON’T PUT—” Kova began. Shiro saw their approach and slipped two last bracelets onto their wrists. From his arm, the bracelets became activated. Kova’s right arm was pulled to Kenny’s left, cutting across his body. Caleb’s left arm also flew to Liz’s right, but there was no cutting across bodies. Instead, Liz became flustered at being close to a boy, much less her captain. Cake and Allie were pulling at each other’s arms, seeing how it wouldn’t budge, and turned to Shiro for an explanation. The Shirogane teens had a bone to pick, though. 

“You can’t do this!”

“We’re not little kids!”

“How old do you think we are?“

"You could’ve said something instead of resorting to the cuffs!”

Shiro clapped to gain their attention. Or to silence them. Whichever you prefer. 

“The last time Paladins of Voltron were in the space mall, one was nearly arrested and detained by mall security, another was used as slave labor because he couldn’t pay, and the other two stole coins out of a fountain to buy a game system and a cow.” As Shiro was recounting his tale, the teens and Kenny quieted down. “The bracelets worked well for you two.” He was staring at his kids. “They should work well with the other members of your crew.” A growl escaped Kova’s throat as she picked up the bag with the money from the Arusians inside. Shiro took it from her hands, handing her a handful of coins. At least she was wearing a sweater with pockets. Allie and Caleb received handfuls of coins too, stashing them away. Allie had a small purse that matched her white and blue outfit and Caleb was wearing his ladybug sweater. 

“As long as we all have our earpieces in, we should be fine in case of an attack,” Kova said, looking around. “Head to your respective areas, and try not to let the stares bother you too much." 

"Food court for lunch?” Cake asked, to everyone’s head nods. With that, they all left for their respective corners. 

“What were those things?” Keith asked. Liz and Allie pleaded with Keith, then Shiro for Keith to stay onboard. They weren’t sure if Keith could handle being exposed to a large crowd so soon after his discovery. Shiro agreed with their reasoning while Keith fought them on it. When it came out of Shiro’s mouth, for some magical reason, Keith accepted it. His request was to get him some 'real clothes’. 

“When Kova and Caleb were younger, they were impossible to keep track of,” Shiro began his story. “So Curtis and Matt butted their heads to find a solution.”

“And the bracelet cuffs were the answer?”

“Matt and Curtis didn’t figure it out until Kova and Caleb were playing with fake handcuffs. Somehow, they got ahold of real cuffs and were stuck until the cop they took them from came back from a two-day vacation. We were almost sad to see them go.”

“How old were they?”

“Eh, nine. Maybe ten. They were young but I remember Caleb talking, and that didn’t happen until he was eight." 

” _As touching as the story is, can you_ not _talk about it when we can’t control channels?_ “ Kova said. Shiro could hear the others either laughing or snickering. 

"Yeah, okay.” Shiro laughed. 

Kenny and Kova were the first to arrive at their location. The shop was filled wall to ceiling with teleduv lenses. They were somewhat organized. Oh sure, they were in barely distinguishable piles but at least they were organized by size. Did size even matter with lenses?

Even at the jingle at the front of the store, no one came from the backroom to the front counter. Kenny and Kova looked at each other and shrugged, looking at the various sizes. They settled on thirty-six 8" lenses. They had the money for double, maybe triple the price, but they stopped counting when they got to the price of thirty-six. An alien finally appeared from the back room at the sound of voices. 

“Oh, hello!” The alien greeted. They looked generally sweet, with light blue skin and dark almond-shaped eyes. “Sorry about that! The bell sounds for everyone within a two-foot radius of the door. How can I help you today?" 

"Yeah, can we get thirty-six of the 8” lenses, please?“ Kenny asked. The worker nodded her head and stepped around the counter to grab them. Kova was lost in her mind, trying to figure out the problem with the bell. 

"Anything else for you today?” The alien asked. Kenny shook his head and looked to Kova. The two stared at the girl until she finally noticed. She apologized and asked if the worker had a pair of pliers she could borrow. While confused, the worker complied. Dragging Kenny along wasn’t fun for Kova, but she did it. The bell rang through the store again and the pair stepped back. Kenny, with careful steps, approached the door. He was three feet away. Then two. Finally one foot in front of the door. The bell didn’t go off until Kenny was directly in front of it. The worker gasped. 

“How did you do that?" 

"The sensor range was too wide. I made it shorter.” Kova explained and shrugged. 

“How can I ever repay you?” The worker said. Kova started to say there was no need, but it was too late. The worker remembered they were there for the lenses. They wrapped the lenses up neatly and pushed them over the counter to them. 

“No, it’s really alright!” Kova tried saying, but the alien was hearing none of it. “Seriously, it was nothing!”

“Please, take it! Thanks to you, I don’t have to listen to that stupid bell anymore!" 

"You really don’t have to!" 

"Hold on! Just one minute!” Kenny shouted, getting the arguing pair’s attention. “We’re going to pay you.” The worker opened their mouth to protest. “Ah, ah, ah, no. No. We’re going to pay you. You can repay us by taking down a certain poster from around the mall." 

"You saw them, too?” Kova asked. Kenny nodded. The worker nodded at the request. They were seriously excited about the bell not going off anymore. 

“Anything! What poster?” The worker asked. Kenny pulled out his phone and showed the worker the ransom poster of Kova. The worker looked from the screen to Kova and back again. “You got yourself a deal.” Kenny and the worker shook on it. As Kenny and Kova turned to leave with their lenses, Kova turned to look at the worker. 

“If you ever want something from the food court, say Jax sent you. Many of them won’t ask questions about it, even double the size of your meal.” The worker yelled one last thank you as Kenny and Kova left the store. 

On the other side of the space mall, Allie and Cake were enjoying the simple delights of finding snacks. Allie was looking at low-calorie and low-fat snacks to give to Keith and Cake was staring at the crackers with drool coming from his mouth. In the end, they got about three-quarters of the list of snacks down. The other fourth was food for Keith. Or Kova. They couldn’t tell anymore. 

About thirty feet away, Liz and Caleb were simply window-shopping, not really liking everything they came across. When Liz spotted Allie, she dragged Caleb along to Allie’s side. It was almost lunchtime, so they were heading through the heart of the mall to get to the food court. 

“Oh, Allura! That would look wonderful on you!” A girl exclaimed, making the four slow down. 

“Oh great,” Allie said quietly. She kept her head low. 

“So, I uh, guess that Allura is a pretty popular name on Altea,” Liz said. 

“Yes, it is. The most popular for girls." 

"What’s the second most popular name?” Liz asked. Allie turned her head to face the girl and gave a dry smile before dropping it. 

“June,” Allie said, staring down at the list in her hands again. 

“Those girls are Altean.” Liz pointed out. 

“Yep.”

“Do you know them?" 

"Unfortunately." 

A loud dramatic gasp came from the trio of girls in front of a high-end store. At least, it looked high-end. And Altean. 

"Allie? Is that you?” One of the girls almost yelled in the mall. Allie froze in her tracks and looked up as the trio approached. The girl in the middle had curly purple hair and fair skin with matching purple Altean markings. Her cronies on either side had a short blonde bob and black pixie cut hair with rose pink and lime green markings. Allie looked petrified but stood her ground. That was when the girl in the middle saw Allie’s hand. It was entwined with Cake’s to hide the fact they were essentially handcuffed. 

“Allie, darling, I’m not sure if you know, but you’re _Altean_.” The middle Altean began to say condescendingly. As if Allie were a little girl. “He’s a half-breed. You don’t know what he would do to you if you made him angry.” Cake’s expression was the definition of 'Wanna find out?’, but he said nothing. 

“Hey, why don’t you leave her alone?” Liz spoke. The middle girl looked surprised to see Caleb and Liz standing there. No matter, though. 

“Allie is one of my good friends. Isn’t that right, darling?” Allie didn’t say anything. 

“Seriously, can you stop? Your comments are so wrong.”

“In what way?” The girl feigned ignorance. 

“Seriously? You talk about our friend like he isn’t even here and you’re belittling another person in front of her friends.” Liz thought this was simple. The girl had other ideas. 

“Sorry, I don’t speak human. Can you speak slower?" 

"Sorry, I don’t speak—" 

"Hey!” Kova yelled. Her voice was only about ten feet behind them, but the yell came through just fine through the earpieces. 

“Jax?” The girl now looked petrified, and Allie stood a little straighter. 

“Star!” Kova said like she was greeting an old friend. “Are you bothering one of the members of my crew?”

“No, not at all. I was just remarking to Allie how her relationship could potentially be viewed on Altea. You know how strict families can be.” Kova took a few steps closer to the girl. Kenny stayed behind her, letting her take center stage. 

“Do you remember what I said to you last time?” Kova smiled sweetly. “Mess with other people’s lives again, and you’re done.” The girl gulped, grabbed her cronies by their arms, and stalked off without another word. “Food court, anyone?" 

At last, they arrived. They sat at a round table and enjoyed the food. Cake was glad to see Garrett & Sons still stood as the prime location to grab a quality meal. Allie was thankful for Liz and Kova’s interruption with Allura. Shiro was disappointed with Caleb since he revealed that he found the store that was giving free cows with every purchase. 

Kova needed to use the restroom, and Shiro removed the link between her and Kenny’s bracelets. She never made it. A tall figure pressed the barrel of a weapon into her lower back while another grabbed her shoulders. She went along with it, not wanting to incite a panic. The figures led her to the loading bay and into a small ship. Still, Kova didn’t fight. She followed them. It wasn’t until she saw the massive ship did she realize what was happening.

Yorak had found her.


	16. Dangerous Clashes: I

The crew of the Coeus lounged in their chairs around a round table. Laughing and eating their food, Cake was recounting the incident that earned him the nickname.

“I had frosting coming out of my nose for weeks afterward!” Everyone laughed. Caleb looked off to the direction Kova had headed to use the bathroom. It had been a few minutes and she still hadn’t returned. 

“Hey, where’s Kova?” He asked the group. 

“She’s probably trying to figure out the girl and boy bathrooms,” Kenny said dismissively. Caleb shook his head, leaning back into his chair and crossing his arms. 

“Kova has been reviewing common words and symbols in alien languages since we started at the Garrison as senior cadets. The first ones she learned were the symbols for the bathroom.”

“Then maybe something didn’t sit well with her stomach.” Kenny was enjoying a specialty from Garrett & Sons. Cake said it was his father’s favorite burger. 

“I don’t know. She’s always back by now.” Caleb looked away again, hoping she would prove him wrong. She didn’t show in the crowd. “What did you make of Keith’s request?” He turned to look at his Dad. 

“I found a few things in his size. Hope he likes them better than the poncho." 

Caleb nodded, not saying much. He looked out at the crowd again. Still no Kova. 

"Dad, track the bracelet.” Caleb looked stern. 

“Caleb, Kova is probably fine.”

“She would be back by now.”

“It was like Kenny said, something probably didn’t agree with her stomach. You’re worrying over nothing.”

“Something feels wrong. Track the bracelet." 

Shiro sighed, opening a screen on his metallic arm. The screen showed two sets of dots. One set was yellow. The other was green. The missing set was red. 

"I broke the connection between Kenny and Kova’s bracelets. Unless they’re connected, I can’t find her.” Shiro said. He shrugged and tried to return to his meal. Caleb had other plans. 

“Liz, use the BLIP." 

"What? Why?”

“Just do it.”

“But the Colonel says she’s probably fine. There’s also a ton of people here. The BLIP won’t track individuals.”

“I’ll give you the specs to narrow the search. Use the BLIP.”

“Caleb, if you won’t calm down, we’re going back to the ship." 

"Okay, let’s go.” Caleb stood up from his chair, picking up his tray and throwing his garbage away. He waited by the exit to the food court. 

“Now look at what you did,” Kenny said, mouth still stuffed. The crew stood, following Caleb to the Coeus. One by one, the teens made their way to the bridge. Liz pulled up the BLIP system while Allie checked on Keith. 

“Did you see anything suspicious?” Caleb asked the older man. Keith didn’t say anything in response. 

“Cake, can you pull up camera feed over the past few hours?" 

"Sure thing.” The screen at the front of the Coeus appeared, splitting into four screens. Two at the back of the ship, and two at the front. 

In the front camera on the left, the one closest to the space mall, Kova was seen being walked to a small ship by two individuals about a head and a half taller than her. As the flew past the Coeus, the camera on the right caught them. They were heading towards a ship in the distance. The dark battleship bore a familiar purple insignia, but not one of the former ships. This one had the current symbol for the Fire in blazing purple on the side of the ship, as well as the entire face of the tower. 

“Liz, type search, then enter BLKPLDNBS into the bar that should pop up.” She followed his directions. When she went to look at him, Caleb was already out of sight, getting ready for flight on his console. “Send those coordinates to Kova’s console. The colonel should be able to take care of the rest.”

“Wait, what’s going on?” Keith asked, but the crew ignored him as they prepared to follow the Fire’s ship. “Hey, don’t ignore me!”

“Ken, show Keith back to his room and get into position in the engine room,” Shiro ordered as he took his place at Kova’s console. He took the coordinates, applied them to a map, and began flying towards Yorak.

———————

Kova was placed into handcuffs. The two aliens that had dragged her onboard were rough. Much rougher than what they needed to be. She was complying. It wasn’t like she was going to stab them. 

They led her to a door. It didn’t open. Side-eying the aliens, they were just about to poop themselves. This was probably their first time even /seeing/ the Emperor, much less /talked/ to him. Opening it, Kova was pushed through the open doorway. The room was about eleven feet long by eight feet wide. The ceiling sat nine feet above Kova’s head. Draped curtains were covering the last wall of the room, enveloping the room in darkness. From a door off to the side, Yorak stood tall. Eyes scanning the room as they met with the pair that had captured her. 

“Kyla.” His smile grew wider. He was dressed more like an Emperor this time. Dressed in dark gray and black armor with the Fire insignia in the middle of his chest plate, a dark gray and purple lined cape fell around his shoulders. His dark hair hadn’t been combed, but his marks looked darker. Just as she was studying him, Yorak was studying her. 

“Civilian clothes.” Yorak went from her clothes to the pair that had captured her. “When I was informed you had captured the one I wanted, I asked if she was wearing armor. You said yes.” With slow steps, Yorak’s smile never changed, but it seemed to grow darker as he approached the men. “You dare lie to your Emperor?” The pair began to violently shake their heads and sank to their knees. Kova stayed standing, being pulled by the shoulder to just behind Yorak’s cape. “Don’t look, little Kyla. It will be a little messy.” The screams of the pair echoed on the walls, and Kova could only sit and listen. Shutting her eyes wouldn’t do anything, so she stared at the floor. Their screams lasted only a few seconds, but they were being put on a loop inside Kova’s brain. Yorak turned to Kova, bending over to study the cuffs on her hands. 

“What do you want with me?” Kova asked. She refused to meet Yorak’s eyes. 

“You’ll see soon enough.” He turned to the guards and ordered them to take her to a room close to his. The guards complied, dragging her to the door the Emperor emerged from. She turned back, only a quick glance. The pair that took her were lying motionless on the floor. The darkness of the room spared her from anything else. 

Yorak’s guards tossed her into the most overrated supply closet known to the universe. It was about half the size of the room before and directly across from the ostentatious door that housed the Emperor’s sleeping quarters. They uncuffed her and closed the door behind them. Kova stood in the middle of the room, hands balled into fists. Tears pricked her amber eyes, but none fell. When it was clear no one would come through the door, she saw the dirty cot on the floor and studied the shelves. They were all filled with various liquids and cleaning supplies. The top shelf held toilet paper, and a map of the entire ship. 

/Thank you for keeping me in a supply closet/, she thought. The map included a bright red X over her spot and several lines that led to different exits. Score! 

Footsteps on the metal floor alerted Kova to someone moving. She took a few steps to the middle of the floor and pretended to stare at the dirty bed. The door opened behind her, and she turned to sneer at the armor-clad soldiers. 

“Pure or mixed?” She asked them. Two of them snarled at the question. The others stared her down but did nothing. A tray of food was placed before her, and the door closed again.

The dingy tray held a bowl filled with green goo and the cup held dark water. There was no way Kova was eating whatever that was. She kicked the tray at the door, hoping the ringing echoed in the hallway. With quiet steps, she returned to studying the map. 

——————

Caleb was typing away at systems reports, checking over the weapons systems, and was trying to figure out how much power would go into powering more than one system. Kova’s location was several days away from the Coeus. Kenny, Liz, and Cake were giving it their all to repair the teleduv with the lenses, but it would still take some time. The Black Lion had been stationary in the bay. 

“You know, it doesn’t do anyone any good if you exhaust yourself.” Shiro appeared behind Caleb, making the teen jump. With a sigh, Caleb returned to his console. 

“I’m not exhausting myself,” He muttered. “I’m just reviewing systems." 

"Caleb, your sister will be fine.” Caleb froze. His hands curled into fists on the desk. 

“You didn’t see how she reacted to Yorak.” Caleb turned to Shiro. “It was like she saw a ghost." 

"That is understandable, given her history with the Fire.”

“That’s another thing!” The teen stood from his chair and descended the stairs to the floor. “There’s no accurate intel on the Fire since the recon mission and the underestimated numbers!" 

"That was no one’s fault.”

“Kova is on a ship going who-knows-where. Yorak might try to get Kova on his side." 

"And if he doesn’t? Yorak could’ve changed as Kova did over the years.” Shiro stared at the teen, who was leaning his head on the glass. 

“How are the engineers doing on the teleduv?” He asked quietly. 

“They should be done soon.”

“Good.” Caleb pushed himself from the glass and headed towards the doorway. “I’m going to bed." 

Shiro was left alone on the bridge. He was worried, too. Kova was his family, too. Shiro knew better than anyone, though, that if anyone could survive the Fire intact, it would be Kova. 

Down in the engine room, Liz was pushing a wrench. The bolt wouldn’t loosen. Cake approached her from behind, and she sighed. Moving aside, Cake rolled his sleeves and gripped the wrench in one hand. One quick push and the wrench moved. Liz hated it when it happened. A yelp from the other side of the room had Liz moving. 

"Kenny?” She called. 

“Here!” He groaned. He was trapped under a metal box. Who knows how he got stuck under there, but at least it didn’t seem to crush him. She crouched down and lifted a corner of the box. It must’ve been made from aluminum because it was so light. At least she was stronger than Kenny. 

“What did you do?" 

"I was checking air pressure.” He rolled onto his stomach and crawled away from the box. “It’s good.”

“I figured.” She put the box down as carefully as she could and patted Kenny’s head. “Cake and I were replacing some of the lenses and metal panel in the teleduv." 

"Cool.” Kenny’s voice was muffled, but the thumbs-up he gave was enough.

“Do you want me to grab a wheelchair and take you back to your room?” She asked with a smile. Kenny’s head shot up and whipped to glare at her. 

“I dare you to grab the chair." 

"Okay, grandpa." 

"Your dad is older than me!" 

"So?”

“Guys, are you done?” Cake yelled. 

“Almost!” Liz yelled back. She turned to Kenny again. “If you have to, go to your room and rest. Otherwise, stop being such a grandpa and help us.” She all but skipped away from the man, now fuming. He stood up, grumbling the entire time about inconsiderate and know-it-all teenagers. Liz rolled her eyes and followed the sound of Cake’s voice. He was messing with the code on the screen used to run diagnostics. The code kept giving error codes and didn’t allow for changes. 

“Oh, that’s why.” Liz crossed her arms and looked at the code. She wasn’t a programmer. The strings of code were close to unreadable. 

“Are you entering it right?” Kenny asked, lightly pushing Cake aside to enter the code himself. Another error code appeared on the screen. If even Kenny couldn’t do it, then who could?

“Kova could,” Liz said a little too loud. She had answered her own question, but it was the question the others had on their mind. Kenny glowered. “Sorry, but it’s true.”

“Rumor says she helped fix the Achlys,” Cake said. 

“Really? Was it an engineering or programming issue?”

“Engineering. A small magnetic field was frying the servers.”

“Will you stop talking about Captain Perfect?” Kenny shouted. His voice echoed on the walls, silencing the two. 

“C'mon Cake. It’s almost dinnertime.” Liz and Cake left Kenny alone. His head was pounding. If Kova was Kenny’s lost little sister, then why was he still jealous of her? She deserved to be where she was at. Especially after the abrupt goodbye.


	17. Dangerous Clashes: II

Kenny woke up to someone shaking him. He reluctantly awoke, still groggy. His dad was at his bedside, staring at him. 

“Hey, Ken.” Keith was saying. “C'mon, time to wake up. We have to go.”

“What?” The teen groaned. 

“It’s time to go." 

"We can’t wait five more minutes?” Keith shook his head and walked to the door.

“Get up and pack up. You’ll be staying with the Holts.”

“What about Kyla?” He asked, but Keith had already walked out the door.

With a groan, he pushed back the gray and white plaid comforter and grabbed his suitcase and backpack. His closet was filled with oranges, browns, reds, and greens. Kenny grabbed a white t-shirt, a brown jacket, and blue jeans. He looked under the bed for his sneakers, then remembered they were by the front door. With a suitcase and backpack in hand, Kenny walked down the familiar hallway. Pictures lined the walls, mostly of Keith and Katie’s adventures and accomplishments. Kenny passed the family picture taken years ago without looking at it. Why did his parents think a mullet was a great idea?

Kenny missed the wood-paneled walls. He even missed the mismatched yellow chair. 

“Kyla!” Pidge yelled from the kitchen. “Why are you still wearing pajamas? Are you even packed?” Kenny dropped his suitcase and backpack by the front door and walked past the living room to the nearest counter. Kyla looked so small in her seafoam green pajamas, clutching the small lilac blanket over her shoulders. Kyla had her head bent, staring at the hardwood floor. She slept with that blanket like it was a stuffed animal. Whether the short woman saw or not didn’t matter when tears began to fall to the floor. 

“Stop it.” Kenny stepped forward, picking up the little girl. One stern look was all Kenny gave his mother. When he reentered the hallway, he dropped his voice. “Don’t pay attention to Pidge. She’s just cranky." 

They entered Kyla’s room. He remembered they used to argue about the wall color. The paint can read "Night Sky Navy” but Kyla insisted it was dark purple. Whatever. 

Setting the little girl down, Kenny kneeled on the floor in front of her. 

“Pidge and Keith are going to go away for a while. You need to be packed and ready to live at your new home until they come back, okay?” Kyla cocked her head, shrugged, and nodded. “Cool. Now, where’s your suitcase?” She pointed at a black suitcase in the back of her closet. He grabbed it and set it on the bed beside her. “Now, what should we put in here?" 

For the next few minutes, Kyla directed Kenny to her shirts, pants, underwear, and socks’ locations. They chose a purple long-sleeved shirt with ruffles at the sleeves, two pink t-shirts, two pairs of brown plaid shorts, a pair of black pants, and four pairs of socks. Her underwear should last her a week without washes, but hopefully, their parents weren’t _that cruel_. 

Only a few items were missing. Extra pajamas, swimsuit, fancy dresses, maybe some overalls, and a random object she could take in the suitcase. Her big smile returned, and her amber eyes were bright. Besides her seafoam onesie, Kyla insisted her gray onesie be put inside too, along with the matching slippers. Kenny complied, also grabbing a pair of black mary janes and pink sneakers in the process. The swimsuit was packed at the bottom of a junk drawer, but they managed to grab it. It was designed to look like a Voltron Paladin suit. He had a matching two-piece. His was green, while Kyla’s was black. She didn’t wear it often, though. 

"Okay, Kyla! Time for fancy dresses!” Kenny said in a funny voice, making the little girl laugh. He pulled a closet door aside and saw most of the clothes were hanging on the upper rack, much too far off the ground for little Kyla. “Which fancy dress, little Ky?” Kenny looked through the rack, studying the reds and greens on almost every dress. He got to a black sequined dress when Kyla told him to stop. If he remembered right, this was a gift from the Shiroganes. Or Grandma. Maybe he didn’t remember right. 

“This is the one with the ribbons, right?” He called. 

“Yeah!”

“Okay. Where are the ribbons?”

“In the box.”

“What box?”

“That box!” He turned and saw Kyla pointing at the wooden chest on her dresser. A dresser she also couldn’t reach alone. 

“That’s a rainbow of color. Okay, Ky. What colors am I grabbing?”

“Hmm, blue, red, and purple!”

“Purple?”

“Purple!”

“Okay!” Kenny grabbed the colors and returned to Kyla and the suitcase. “Ooh, I almost forgot the overalls. While I grab those, do you wanna grab your special object?”

“What’s a special object?” He kneeled in front of her again.

“It’s anything you want that can fit in your bag. It can be a toy, or a picture of the family, or even your blankie.” Kyla wrapped the thin blanket around her shoulders tightly, eyes narrowing defiantly. She was _daring him_ to take her blankie away. “Okay, okay! Maybe not the blankie, but do you get what I mean?” She nodded, and he stood up to grab the overalls from the closet. Whatever she grabbed, he didn’t see. She had hidden it in the piles of clothes inside the suitcase already. He didn’t ask any questions, especially since there was no time to ask them. Keith and Pidge were starting to yell and honk the horn. Kenny sat on the bed and Kyla wrapped her arms around his neck. They piggy-backed to the living room, where Kova asked to be put down. With her suitcase in one hand, and Kova holding the other, Kenny walked out the front door for the last time. 

That wasn’t the last time Kenny saw Kyla, though. She fell asleep in the car on the way to the Holt’s house. It was still pretty early in the morning. When he got out of the car, Kenny got a long, tearful goodbye from his parents on his grandparents’ doorstep. They wished him well and promised he would be the first to visit when they returned. Kyla woke up in the car alone, shivering. Her blankie had fallen off. She looked out the windows to figure out where she was. Kenny saw Kyla’s bright eyes staring at the scene sadly. She pressed a hand into the glass, and Kenny lifted his hand in return. His parents didn’t see, and his grandparents didn’t seem to notice. As they drove off, Kenny could only wish Kyla the best wherever she went. 

———————

“Do you have any _real questions_ for us or are you just going to keep accusing us?”

“Griffin!” Shiro scolded. 

“Sorry, Colonel.” She sat up in her chair. 

“This is just,” Keith trailed off. They had moved the extra chair to the floor below. Keith was sitting in front of the crew, rubbing his face with a hand. 

“It’s a lot, I know. But you’ve been asleep for a long time, and we should catch you up on current events.” Shiro stepped away from the head console, descended the stairs, and approached Keith. “It’s a lot, I know. But you’ve been asleep for a long time, and we should catch you up on current events.” Shiro stepped away from the head console, descended the stairs, and approached Keith. His head was bent, trying to process everything. 

“You’re telling me I had been asleep for ten years?” Keith looked up at the teens, all staring at him with varying degrees of boredom. 

“Almost eleven,” Caleb mentioned, crossing his arms and reclining in his chair. Shiro shot him a look but said nothing. The teens sat and watched Keith’s brain trying to catch up to the present while anxiously waiting for news about the teleduv. 

“How did the mission go? Did everyone get back to Earth okay?" 

"Griffin, as his doctor, tell me if you agree.” Caleb stood up to lean on his console. “All relevant members of the crew are aware of the ACHLYS mission and its aftermath, correct? I don’t see the need to pain the man anymore with the knowledge until he has completely understood the current threat." 

"Nice Kova impression.”

“Shut up.”

“Caleb is right.” Shiro turned to Keith. “We’ll tell you what we’re up against, but we aren’t going to tell you what happened to the crew of the ACHLYS.” Shiro turned to the crew of the Coeus, ready to brief them. 

“They’re dead,” Keith whispered. “They’re all dead, aren’t they?" 

"Keith,” Shiro began. 

“Tell me.” Keith looked up to meet Shiro’s eyes. Tears pricked the corners of his eyes, his heartbreak clear on his face. It was his fault they had been ambushed. It was his fault that the mission failed. His friends died because he couldn’t see two feet in front of him. Allie had stood up from her seat with a box of tissues in her hand. Taking one from the box, she dabbed the tears falling from Keith’s eyes. When his gaze met hers, her body tightened. With a breath, she relaxed. 

“They are not dead.” The young girl said quietly. “We believe they are like you were. Asleep, in stasis.” She moved to the other eye, Keith watching her every move. “We don’t want to tell you what happened because we’re afraid you’ll attack us in your grief.” She placed the tissue box in Keith’s hands and walked away, heels clicking on every step.

“They’re fine?”

“More than likely.” Shiro was standing beside Keith again, holding the man’s shoulder. Keith held a dazed look.

“ _Kenny to crew, prepare for a wormhole jump. Repeat, prepare for a wormhole jump_.” The speakers were deafening, louder than necessary.

Allie hopped back to her seat, Caleb sat down, and Shiro dragged Keith’s chair to the corner under Allie’s console. Each of the teens was strapped into their colorful chairs, holding on for dear life. Shiro, on the other hand, held tight but remained standing.

A bright blue rift appeared in front of the Coeus, thrusters ceasing fire as it floated through. The teens braced themselves as the Coeus rocked harshly from the force inside the wormhole. The Coeus emerged intact on the other side of the rift, the wormhole closing behind it. Thrusters came back online, power returned to normal. Liz pulled up the charts and coordinates on her console. 

“Please don’t tell me we jumped two feet again.” Cake groaned, turning his chair to look at Liz. 

“I’m checking, calm down.” She looked at the charts, pinpointing their last location and where Kova currently was. She pulled it up to the larger screen and she shrieked in delight. 

“We moved the equivalent of four days’ travel!” The teens cheered, Kenny included in the engine room, while Shiro looked at the teens proudly. Keith came out of his daze to stare at the cheering teens, smiling sadly. He and Shiro met eyes, seemingly having met the same conclusion. The teens were just like them when they were younger. When they were paladins of Voltron a lifetime ago. 

——————

“What’s wrong, mutt? Afraid to get your overrated hands dirty?” Kova shouted at the guard as they stood in front of her tiny room. The guards snarled and growled at her, but they seemed to remain stoic. “Figured. You like to act so high and mighty, but you know you’re one of a million in the universe. Act like it." 

"Enough!” A loud voice on the other side yelled, and Kova smiled. Finally. The door opened and the guard stalked in as others tried to stop him. “I’ll show you what a mutt can do.” He snarled and pounced. Kova was quicker, though. She side-stepped, using the force of his jump against him by pushing his head towards the dirty mattress. Kova had him by the scruff despite the size difference. 

“Ooh, so scary.” Kova mocked the guard, angering him. Another growl and he had thrown Kova off of him. She landed with a crash, cleaning supplies landing on the floor below. She was crouched when the guard pounced towards her again. She jumped onto his back as he fell into a small pothole that was used as an emergency toilet. It was currently backed up, making the room smell horrible.“Thanks for using your head as a stopper. The smell was starting to seriously give me a headache.” She smacked the back of the guard’s head as she stood up. His flailing body had obscured her view from the door. 

“Kyla!” A voice shouted. Kova turned to glare at the person. It wasn’t Yorak. The young man had been built like a bodybuilder, wearing a silver shoulder-piece to keep his navy blue cape in check. Unlike Yorak, this man had more alien characteristics. His skin was orange, his hair was a matching blue to his cape, and his eyes had yellow sclera with a dark iris and pupil. Kova remembered him.

“Ezrid, nice to see you again,” Kova said, earning a glare of annoyance from the tall man. He glanced at the guard stuck in the emergency toilet and met Kova’s eyes again. 

“That is not my name.” He said slowly. “I am Archduke Vhix, second-in-command to Emperor Yorak.”

“Ooh, so proper.” Kova leaned against the wall, crossing her arms. “How long did it take you to come up with that?”

“You dare mock me?”

“Sorry if Vhix doesn’t strike as much fear in my heart as believing you were eaten by a shark in our backyard pool.”

“You remember that?”

“Why wouldn’t I? I’m still afraid of sharks.”

“Nevermind. Stop pestering the guards." 

"No." 

"You dare disobey a direct order from your superior?" 

"You wouldn’t be able to beat me. And besides, I needed the armor.”

“Why would you possibly need armor for?" 

"Where do I start? I’m on an intergalactic spaceship heading who-knows-where after being kidnapped by a maniac. I want to be prepared for anything.”

“If you wanted armor, you could have asked.”

“Asked who? Your undertrained mutts?” In a swift move, Vhix had Kova by the throat, holding her against the wall. 

“Seems you need to remember you’re a mutt, too,” Vhix growled in Kova’s ear. “If I hear about you tormenting the guards again, you will be punished harshly. Understood?” He didn’t wait for a reply. Instead, he dropped her and walked out the door. Kova gasped for breath, rubbing her neck. Two more guards had come in to remove the first guard by bending back the metal of the emergency toilet. He was freed, gagging the entire way out of the room. The door closed behind them, leaving the emergency toilet bigger than before. 

At least Kova would have what she needed to get out. The cleaning supplies that had fallen to the floor were garbage bags, disinfectants with long gone labels, and hydrogen peroxide. She needed the garbage bags more than the peroxide, but it still helped. Stripping down to her bodysuit, which she wore underneath her street clothes, she stuffed her clothes into a plastic bag. Stashing it in the inner corner of the corner, out of sight from the door, she set herself to work. Pouring a few bottles into a large bucket, she kept a close eye on the door and a keen ear to others walking about.

Everything was ready. She just needed yeast. Who better to ask than the ever polite half-Galra guards outside her door? She knocked on the door, and they banged on it in response. She knocked again, and they groaned, annoyed. Kova didn’t blame them. She’d do the same. The door opened. The guard held a shield in front of them, separating the two. It didn’t separate the smells, though. The guard groaned, covering their nose. 

“Can I get a box of yeast? It helps with eliminating odors.” The guard nodded, closing the door and rushing off to grab it. 

As a disclaimer, kids, don’t use yeast to eliminate smells in your bathroom. Baking soda helps eliminate odors from the bathroom, and when mixed correctly with peroxide, can create a whitening paste. Hydrogen peroxide, dish soap, and yeast mixed together will form a chemical compound made foam. The guards here don’t have to know yeast doesn’t get rid of the poopy smell. 

Kova is counting on this. The guard returned, pinching their nose again at the smell. Kova thanked them, even if it went unacknowledged. She got to work setting her trap with a broom and a bucket, positioned carefully. Her escape would be in a few hours when the emergency toilet was emptied.

Hopefully, the Coeus was close enough to reach her. Otherwise, Kova was a sitting duck, and she didn’t want to be a duck.


	18. Dangerous Clashes: III

Whether it was smart or dumb, the guards delivered the armor to Kova’s makeshift cell. She spent a few minutes looking it over, then started working. The bodysuit was like a second skin, completely different than the street clothes she wore before.

The tech on the suit was older than anything she had ever seen, but that was the privilege of attending the intergalactic hub on Earth. We mean the Garrison if you’re lost.

She was attempting to use a paperclip as a pair of pliers on the location tracker when the door reopened. Ezrid, or Vhix, stood in the doorframe. Kova spared him a glance before returning to her work. 

“Are you not going to say anything?” Vhix asked, crossing his arms behind his back. 

“Should I?” Kova glanced at him again, noting the scowl that crossed his face. 

“You should be grateful for everything we’ve given you.” He hissed. “Most prisoners rot in the cells below, never seeing their home planets again.”

“Ooh, how scary.” Kova mocked him. “I should be grateful for being put in a janitor’s closet. That’s rich.”

“What are you doing to the suit?” Vhix asked, noticing her position. He was about to cross the boundary. He was about to trigger the explosion before she was ready. 

“NO!” She yelled. “Stay away from me!” Vhix stepped back, shocked at being yelled at. “I don’t want you anywhere near me!” Vhix found his voice, fixing his dark blue cape.

“Aren’t you overreacting, Kyla?” He smiled, talking in the tone you would talk to most children with. She stood up from her place on the floor to at least be eye-level with him. 

“I’m not the one our parents chased across the galaxy.” She cocked her head. "Am I overreacting?“ Vhix had no words. He only looked on with wide eyes. Almost like he didn’t know what her parents had done. Without another word the door closed, leaving Kova alone once again. 

She had to finish the suit.

Right. Now. 

——————

"Cake, cover me!” Caleb yelled over the intercoms. 

“You got it!” Cake yelled back, moving his controls. The Coeus had taken another hit. This time, there was a small platoon of ships striking. The Red and Yellow Lions were deployed, against Shiro’s orders. The Lions were taking heavy hits, but at least there was no attention at the Coeus. 

The Red Lion was zipping past the cruisers, all their shots missing. The Red Lion was fighting its pilot, but Caleb was having none of it. The Yellow Lion, as the densest lion material-wise, was ramming into the cruisers head-on. 

Liz and Kenny were readying the Coeus for defense, while Allie cowered in a corner. She would have to come out eventually, but for now, she was staying put. 

The Yellow Lion zoomed past the cruisers, either ramming itself through them or leaving them alone for later pickings. 

A communication link request was sent to the Coeus, which Liz immediately refused without looking at it. She glanced at Allie, who was covering her pointy ears with her hands, hoping to silence the gunfire. 

“Can you guys stop playing and knock them out already?” Liz yelled over the intercom to the boys, who weren’t quick to respond. The Red Lion was drawing fire towards the enemy ships while Cake used their distraction and fear to ram them down. In the end, all but one of the ships were destroyed. 

Seeing the last cruiser fly away, the Red and Yellow lions released a deafening roar and returned to the Coeus. The Coeus had activated their particle barrier and it would be up for the next few hours until it deactivated itself. 

“Now that that’s taken care of,” Caleb said. The screen on the bridge appeared, showing the paladins inside their respective lions. “What’s next?" 

"We’re going to have to double-check every point we travel to if we’re going to make another jump.”

“Ugh, seriously?” Cake complained. “That will take way longer than whatever we were doing before!" 

"Well, it's the only thing we’ve got right now.” Liz was at the head of the bridge, Kova’s place, typing away. Kova’s console, as it turned out, was the only console with complete access to all files and consoles onboard. 

“Griffin’s right,” Caleb spoke, leading the Red Lion to fly underneath the Coeus. “If we want to avoid another encounter like that, we’re going to have to be more careful.”

“But that will take ages!” Cake groaned, rolling his eyes. 

“It’s better than not doing anything,” Caleb said. 

“Right, ‘cause we’re still looking for Kova while trying to keep the Coeus intact.” Neither Liz nor Caleb were amused by Cake’s comment. “Easy enough.”

“Speaking of Kova, Griffin, how are we doing?" 

"The tracking is still activated, and it shows we’re about one full jump away from reaching her.” Liz looked away from the camera and console for a minute, staring at something off-screen. She turned back with a sigh. “I have to take care of something now, but all systems are stable and the shield will deactivate in a few hours. Until then, just hang on tight.” The connection between the Coeus and the Red and Yellow Paladins was cut, and Cake and Caleb were now left alone with only each other to talk to. 

Where do we even begin with these two? Cake and Caleb were on different teams since they started as cadets at the Garrison. Kova and Caleb had similar leadership tactics, but they weren’t on the same level. Caleb was maybe a few months behind Kova’s level of understanding. At nine years old, she repaired a major issue on the Achlys. An issue the top engineers couldn’t figure out. Kova was the only thing Caleb and Cake had in common. Beyond that, there was nothing. Cake was half-Balmeran. Caleb was completely human. Cake was raised by his biological parents. Caleb was adopted by the Shiroganes at three years old. Cake lived on Earth after ten years old. Caleb hadn’t even been to space. 

“This might seem like a weird question, and you don’t have to answer,” Cake began. Caleb raised an eyebrow. “But didn’t Keith have a dog?”

“I, uh, don’t know, actually,” Caleb said. “Dad and Uncle Lance used to stories, but I don’t know if they ever mentioned pets.”

“Really? I could’ve sworn my dad mentioned a dog.”

“Huh.” Caleb sat back in his chair. If there was a dog, why wasn’t it ever mentioned again? “Maybe we could ask Keith about it.”

“Maybe.” Cake agreed. “Hey, uh, where are you?" 

"Under.” /Please say it/, Caleb thought. Kova always switched her words and Cyrus copied her. No one did it. 

“Under /where/?” Caleb erupted in laughter, while Cake looked around confused. /Then/ he realized the joke. 

“Haha, okay, very funny, Caleb.” Cake said sarcastically. 

Onboard the Coeus, Keith and Shiro were sequestered away in Shiro’s office. While Caleb and Cake disobeyed orders, Shiro was getting Keith up to speed on everything they had been doing. 

“The Fire of Purification was terminated as a threat years ago.” Shiro had activated a holoscreen, showing the progression board the team had been working on. They were at the beginning of the current threats when Keith spoke. “I killed Sendak!" 

"I know.” Shiro took a seat across the desk from Keith. “It seems that some of their former members resurfaced with a vengeance, and began recruiting.”

“The Fire of Purification wanted to wipe out every species in the universe if it meant conserving the Galra." 

"And that mission changed with the times.” Shiro leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. “The Fire we’re fighting today was led by a half-Galra and is currently being led by a different one.”

“The one that might’ve taken your daughter.” Shiro’s eyes widened a little, shock written on his face. As quickly as it came, it left. 

“Yes. Her status is the reason for the bounty on her head.”

“She’s half-Galra?”

“Yes, but that’s not the only thing.” Shiro turned off the holoscreen progression and removed it from his desk. Taking out the tablet Kova had given him when they began this crazy journey, Shiro logged into the Garrison’s database. “The students have given her the nickname 'Jax’.” Shiro turned the tablet to show Keith the screen. A picture of Kova was on it. Her eyes were like steel, and her features were cut from stone. Her uniform jacket was crisp, and her hair was pulled away from her face in a bun. That was all that could be seen. Shiro turned the screen away from Keith and swiped to view the next picture. It was Kova’s log. Her entire school history was there for the men to see. 

“Why do they call her that?" 

"Her teachers would call her a jack of all trades, then it became Jack. To be fair, most instructors thought she was a boy when they heard about her capabilities. Eventually, the student body would call Jack, then Jax. It stuck.”

“Teachers? Instructors? Like, she had multiple people teaching her?” Keith was astounded. Even he didn’t require that much instruction, and he was considered the best pilot of his generation. 

“Programming, engineering, piloting, was offered private instruction with Commander Holt but declined, and still had time to spend with Lance and our family. Before we left Earth, she was being scouted as an instructor by other schools." 

"With someone like that,” Keith began. 

“She could win wars if she stood on the front lines.” Shiro finished Keith’s sentence. “Caleb is capable of it, too, but he isn’t as hyper-detailed as Kova." 

"So the Fire wants your daughter, Kova, on their side?”

“More than anything.” Keith sat back in his chair, staring into the void. Shiro turned off and put away the tablet while Keith contemplated everything. 

“What are we waiting for, then?” Keith said, standing from his chair. A hand rested on his hip with an iconic smile on his face. “Let’s get her back." 

—————

"C'mon, c'mon!” Kova muttered under her breath. “Change color, you stupid light!” She stood on the dirty mattress in the furthest corner of the room. The garbage bag that held her street clothes was propped against the wall closest to the emergency toilet. The dark gray armor fit Kova almost perfectly, but if she wasn’t careful, there could be an opening. Her hair was tied in a braided bun at the back of her head, her helmet screen open. She was trying to change the color of the insignia on her chest plate, but for whatever reason, it didn’t. The top of the insignia was blue and the bottom was the original purple.

The sewer was emptying, and her window of opportunity was going with it. Let’s all say it now: NO ONE CARES ABOUT THE COLOR OF YOUR STUPID LIGHT!

Heavy footsteps rang through the room. The metal grate was horrible like that. The steps became heavier, the metal groaned louder, and Kova’s heart raced faster as they approached her room. 

“Screw this!” She finally exclaimed, throwing the paperclip aside, grabbed her plastic bag, and stood at the mouth of the gaping hole. The footsteps had stopped just outside her door. Indistinguishable words were being exchanged between the guards and the newcomer, but Kova wouldn’t be around to see it. First went the bag, making a disgusting brown splash on the sewer walls. It was carried only a few feet from the weak current before coming to a standstill. Activating her helmet screen to completely cover her face, Kova took a deep breath. 

May Allura give her strength. 

She jumped feet first into the hole. The brown, maybe green liquid splashed under her feet, but there was no time to consider what it could or couldn’t be. As soon as her boots made contact with the bottom of the pipe, Kova ran, grabbing the plastic bag on the way. 

In her now empty room, the door opened to reveal the maniac himself with his second-in-command in tow. 

“Where is she?” Yorak asked, staring at the empty room.

“Let me see,” Vhix said, pushing past Yorak into the room. His step into the room triggered the boxes of yeast the guards had brought Kova to fall into the buckets of peroxide and dish soap at their feet. As the yeast fell into the buckets, the white foam quickly overfilled the buckets, spilling onto the floor. The metal grate didn’t allow the foam to stay very long, but the results were worth it. Vhix was quickly overwhelmed by the foam, slipping on the metal grate. Yorak was fuming, his expression dark. He turned his stone-cold eyes to the guard at his right. The guard, for what it’s worth, was rusting their armor at the glare. 

“Search the ship,” Yorak growled, whipping his head to meet the stare of the second guard. “If she isn’t found, it’s your lives.” Vhix had somehow stood and walked away from the foam. Thankfully for him, yeast doesn’t stain. The guards ran down the hallways like their lives depended on it because they did. 

“I told you we should have kept her in a prison cell,” Vhix muttered, trailing foam. Yorak sighed, staring at the mess Kova had caused. 

“If we did, she would’ve discovered our plans before she was ready.” Yorak stalked away from the room, heading for the bridge. Vhix strode after him, still trailing foam. 

“She isn’t going to switch sides so easily.” Vhix shook his shoulders, then aggressively shook his cape. “She’s been taught to be a paragon of power.”

“As am I.” Yorak turned to meet Vhix’s eyes. Vhix was one of few to meet the stone-cold gaze of the Emperor and not shake in fear. The others were either dead or changed. 

Down below, Kova ran, drifted, and jumped over pipes, large lumps of something, and tight corners. She simply followed the current. Kova’s sloshed steps grew faster as voices grew louder overhead. The desire to live was starting to become her. Out of some misfortune, there was no exit to the sewer. At least, no exit she could use. The water escape through a small vent at the bottom of a wall. 

Kova looked up at the metal grate, searching for a means of escape. Another hole was torn into the metal grate directly above the sewer. Another emergency toilet. Tossing her bag through the hole, Kova jumped to grab hold of the edge. The sharp, torn metal pierced her skin through the bodysuit, but it did not break. 

She was in yet another janitor’s closet, but it was worth it. If the map on the wall is correct, she’s about ten feet from the closest exit.

Activating the helmet’s shade, Kova walked straight for the doors that led to her freedom. The door opened up, four armed soldiers running past her without a glance in her direction. Quick as can be, she slipped through the doors. 

The room was a loading bay, stocked with wooden crates and small cruisers. If she could hotwire one, it would make her escape all the better. 

“Hey! You!” A voice yelled from above Kova’s head. It didn’t sound like either Yorak or Vhix, so at least she was safe. “What are you doing here? This ward is restricted to—” Kova turned to face the man yelling at her. He noticed the blue on Kova’s insignia. The light is pretty hard to miss. The man yelling at her stared at the faceless armored soldier with surprise, then anger. “Hey! I found the runaway!" 

With a salute, Kova booked it to the doors. The man, completely caught off-guard, panicked, climbed the railing, and jumped to the floor twenty feet below. He didn’t chase after her. At least, not immediately. 

Three armor-clad soldiers marched in, holding their weapons up. Kova had made it to the wall on the other, the door that should lead outside. One of the soldiers had fired on her, hitting the door three feet from Kova’s head. She ignored it, searching for the control switch. It required a password to open it. Another blast was fired, only inches from her face. 

Kova turned to see the firing squad. They wouldn’t kill her. Of course, they wouldn’t. That’s a death wish waiting to happen. Yorak and Vhix still want her alive. 

One of the soldiers aimed at the wall next to Kova, hoping to ricochet a blast to knock her out without completely damaging her. The soldier’s stance wavered, the gun along with it. Kova held her hands up in surrender, but the soldiers made no moves to apprehend her. Not until they were sure they wouldn’t be attacked. The soldier’s finger was prepared to pull the trigger. It wouldn’t take much, just a little push. 

The entire ship took a blow, and everyone took a fall. Kova held onto the frame of the door closest to the control panel. She connected her armpiece to the control panel, uploaded her code, and the door opened. As the oxygen was being sucked into the nothingness of space, some of the lighter boxes were being thrown out as well. Kova hoped it was food so they could slow down their pursuit. As the suction pulled everything, Kova braced herself and threw herself out into the nothingness. 

Curled into a small ball, she spun until she wasn’t sure which way was up and down. Is there even an up and down in space? Kova had been pulled so far away from the ship, she could see what had caused the blast. 

The Coeus had come to the rescue, firing heavy blasts to the side of the enemy ship. A particle barrier had been activated, glowing orange. Two figures were dancing in front of the barrier. It took Kova a tick to realize they weren’t just any figures. It was the Lions. 

Red sped past the entire length of the enemy ship, firing on the windows of their bridge. Yellow was clawing the side Red had left unscathed. Escape pods began to leave the ship, and Red noticed. It took after them, preparing to fire again when a small blast hit their snout. Red turned its head to look for the culprit. 

Kova fired again. She was so glad the arm piece had a laser, or she would have been a goner. 

Red was hit again between the eyes. Forgetting its original prey, it flew towards the source of the blasts. 

As Red got closer, Kova hung onto her bag for dear life. She was floating into nothingness. She didn’t want to be like Keith! Lost for ten years until the new generation of Voltron came to find her. They haven’t even formed Voltron!

Red stopped before Kova, staring at her figure. What was wrong? Didn’t he recognize her? Then she remembered she still had the shade on. Deactivating it, she stared at Red again. Red opened its mouth, and Kova floated into it. The depressurization left Kova lying on the bottom of Red’s mouth staring at the top of it. Eventually, she stood and joined Caleb in the pilot seat. He was updating the Coeus on the mission. 

Kova placed a hand on his shoulder, to which Caleb lay his own over it. They shared a look, and Caleb turned Red around to return to the Coeus. Kova slept in Red’s cockpit until the barrier deactivated a few hours later. 


	19. Wavering Objectives: I

It had been a few days since Kova’s great escapade, but the effects still lingered. 

Yorak and Vhix were studying the holoscreen recording of the event. She was smart, quick on her feet. Vhix stared at the recordings in a begrudging impress. Yorak was supporting himself on the table, bowing his head and glaring at a still of Kova’s face. 

“Well, Kyla sure has grown up, hasn’t she?” Vhix muttered. Yorak’s hand tightened into a ball. With a thunderous blow, Yorak pounded his fist into the table, shaking the screen and disabling it. 

“Kyla is still the same spineless girl she was before.” Yorak stood at full height, cradling his fist. “We can break her. Rebuild her. Make her fight for us.” Yorak had turned to look out the small porthole-sized window behind him. The stars flickered past the slow-moving ship. The rainbow clouds of dust glowed in the distance, much too far to reach. 

“And how do you intend to do that?” Vhix asked, crossing his arms across his chest and leaned on the edge of the table. “Her moral compass was determined by the ones who raised her, and that wasn’t you.”

“Ezrid,” Yorak growled. “Don’t tell me things I already know.” Yorak turned to glare at the man behind him. Vhix looked unimpressed, only uncrossing his arms at Yorak’s turn. 

“Well, Junior,” Vhix said. Yorak sneered at the name. “Entertain me. How are you going to break someone who isn’t here to break?”

“In due time, Vhix.” Yorak flexed his hand, wincing at the pain that shot up his arm. “When we return to the outpost, I’ll tell you.”

“Until then?" 

"Track her down. Double the ransom. We need her back.”

———————

The crew of the Coeus was gathered on the bridge, hoping to hear all about the amazing escape. Kova, for her credit, stood in the middle of the floor in full view of everyone’s eyes as they looked her over. She was wearing only a black t-shirt, black pants, and combat boots. Her hair was held back in a loose ponytail, her eyes downcast. 

Rolling her head around, she met everyone’s eyes and sighed. 

“Let’s just get this over with.” She muttered. Stiffening her shoulders and holding herself steady, Kova’s eyes brightened. “Who’s first?” A barrage of questions came her way, and if there was a way to physically be blown away by the questions or the volume at which they were being asked, Kova would. “Time out, time out!" 

"What happened? What did you do?”

“I called for a timeout, Griffin!”

“Don’t care!” Liz held her face in her hands in a glamor pose. “How did you escape?” Kova rolled her eyes and rested her hand on her hip. 

“I made an elephant toothpaste trap, escaped through a hole in the sewer, and was blown out through the back door.” A few awkward blinks came Kova’s way, and she stared back. “Seriously, that’s what happened! Ugh, anyway. Who’s next?”

“Are you physically okay?” Cake asked next. Kova nodded. 

“Besides a wrist sprain from holding on to the door, I’m fine.”

“Then why are your arm and leg wrapped?” Kova really hoped Cake wouldn’t ask. Her body language said as much. Kova’s leg had been scratched from her jump into the emergency toilet that she hadn’t noticed, the small scratch on her hands climbing out of the emergency toilet later on, and the wrist sprain didn’t and shouldn’t warrant an arm sling and Kova’s left arm and right leg to be completely wrapped in gauze and tape. 

“I wish I could tell you, Cake.” Kova looked to the quiet side of the room. “Next?" 

"Did you recover any pertinent information?” Allie asked. 

“Not much. I’m sorry. They took me to a closet across from the Emperor’s room. The second-in-command told me I should be grateful for not being in a crowded prison cell." 

"They were treating you well?" 

"I know! I was shocked too. It seemed like I was their main priority. They tried feeding several times. I even dunked a soldier’s head in a toilet, but they let me go. I wasn’t punished.” Allie sat back in her chair, pondering. “Who’s next?”

“How were we able to track you?” Shiro was supporting himself on the banister around Kova’s station. 

Kova’s eyebrows lifted at her father, who stood firm. She shrugged and turned to face the windows to the dark space outside. She stooped down to lift a small panel on the floor and inserted a small chip. The screen came to life, showing a unique code, color-coded to show the differences. Kenny and Cake marveled at the sight, geeking out at the individual codes. Everyone else was trying to understand what it was. 

“These are the individual tracking codes on the suits. When I was going through the suits and updating, upgrading, or even unlocking several different components, I also inserted a tracking code." 

"Into the armor or the bodysuits?” Cake asked, tuning into the conversation. 

“Both,” Kova said, turning to face him. “I managed to have the codes be separate from each other unless combined.”

“Meaning?” Keith asked. He had been quiet throughout the whole conversation. At least he was interested in something. 

“Meaning that the bodysuits will emit a tracking code unless attached to the armor. Then, the bodysuits disable their code when their pairing code is in position.”

“So, wait. The code Cap knew is—” Liz started again, being cut off by Kova. 

“The code to the Black Paladin bodysuit.” Kova’s right hand found itself a home on her hip as she stared at everyone’s awed stares. _If reversed, you’d be impressed, too_ , she chided herself. “I kept all the code on a small password-protected chip in case of plagiarism. I hoped to integrate it with the modern suits after test runs.”

“So, wait.” Caleb held a finger in the air. “Our suits are tracking code experiments.” Kova raised her eyebrows again, giving Caleb a flat stare. Allie, although not visible to Caleb, also gave a flat stare. 

“Caleb,” Kova pinched the bridge of her nose. “You. Were. There.” Caleb crossed his arms and pouted. “Are you going to ask a question, now, or are you going to keep pouting?”

“What is your relationship with the Fire?” Keith demanded, turning all eyes to him. 

“What are you talking about?” Kova asked. Her heart was racing. Did he know? Did Keith recognize her? 

“You’re half-Galra, aren’t you?” Darn. 

“Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?" 

"Whose side are you on?” Keith had descended the staircase to stand in front of Kova. He was taller than she was, but she didn’t move. She met his stare. “The Fire’s or the galaxy’s?" 

"Stand down, soldier.” Kova’s eyes flared at the accusation. “I’m on the side that takes down the Fire, not the other way around." 

"Then why haven’t you done anything against them?”

“What are we supposed to do? We’re kids!" 

"So was I, and I defeated the Fire! Give me a real excuse!" 

"Alright, alright, enough!” Shiro intervened. “We can discuss more later. Kova, go put ice on your wounds. Keith, go rest in your bunk. Everyone else, continue normal duties.” To a chorus of ‘yes sirs’ and huffs from fighting parties, the crew did exactly what they were told to do. 

Later that night, and in the middle of the night, the crew had a rude awakening. One minute, the Coeus is stable. Drifting through space without much interference from the space around it. The next, it went _nyoom_ to the right. With thunderous crashes, every teen had fallen out of bed. Kenny, who positioned his bed in a small alcove, hadn’t been affected. Until the ship took a hard left to reposition itself. Then he raced to the bridge. 

The paladins raced in, in varying degrees of sleepwear. Together, they scanned the windows, searching for warnings or blasts. Instead, they found Keith. He was wearing the clothes Shiro had gotten him from the space mall: A plain black t-shirt, a gray vest Shiro had stolen back from Kova, matching gray cargo pants, and boots. Red ribbons were tied around his calves to keep the pants from billowing. 

Keith only stared at the teens, holding the console. It seemed to the teens he didn’t expect the teens’ response time to be so fast. Clearly, he didn’t know how often they’ve been attacked. 

From left to right, the teens wore their Lions’ colors well. Allie wore a light blue long-sleeved smocked waist dress with matching blue pants and white slippers. Caleb wore a bold red shirt with a plaid breast pocket and black and white plaid pants with black socks. Kova wore solid purple sweatpants and a long-sleeved tunic with fitted wrists and ankles and barefoot. Liz wore a white tank-top with bright green shorts underneath. covered by a green robe and white socks. Cake wore a long green and yellow tunic similar to the ones his mother wore on the Balmera. They all had varying degrees of bed head, from Allie’s bent pigtails to Kova’s tri-pronged hair and everything in between. 

“It’s the middle of the night!” Liz exclaimed. Cake and Allie were quick to follow her anger but did nothing to stop Keith. “Kova! Kova?” Liz tried to rally the stunned teen and noticed a vein protruding from the girl’s forehead. 

“DAAAAD!” Kova’s voice started small, growing in volume as she stood to full height. “DAD!” She leaned her head out the doorway. “DAD! Control your, uh, whatever!" 

"Get into positions,” Caleb ordered, sighing tiredly. The teens complied, watching. “He’s probably still strapped into the bed." 

"What a shame. I don’t care.” Kova turned to glare at the man in her place. “Get away from my console.” Keith didn’t budge. She repeated it. His eyes hardened as she got closer. 

“I have to get back to Earth!” Keith shouted, pulling a hand away from the console. The Coeus once again went _nyoom_ but the teens were semi-prepared this time. “I have to get back to my family!”

“We have a larger mission at hand!” Kova argued, lunging at his hand. Keith moved away from her grasp, turning the ship right-side up. “Sorry to say, but I think your family can wait!”

“You don’t understand!” The Coeus tilted to the left. 

“Try me!” Rightside up. 

“You’re a kid! What do you know?” Coeus went almost flat to its right. 

“More than you, apparently!” Rightside up again. 

“Enough!” Shiro yelled, interrupting the two. Kova took Keith’s distraction to pull him forward and flip him onto his back. “Kova!” She stood at attention, directly in front of the console. “What’s going on?” Keith was quick to stand up. He opened his mouth to explain, but Kova beat him to it. 

“We awoke to the Coeus changing direction. While aware of your sleeping circumstances, we attempted to resolve this on our own.”

“Kova." 

"Fine.” She sighed. “ _I_ tried to solve this on my own. But he started it!” She pointed a menacing finger at Keith. He pointed one back. 

“She doesn’t understand what happened!”

“He almost killed us!”

“No, I didn’t!" 

"Stop it! Enough, you two!” Shiro stood in between them. “Kova, be more understanding of others around you.” She glowered as Keith beamed. “And Keith, you’re new to this dynamic, but Kova’s in charge until I take command.” Now it was Kova’s turn to beam while Keith scowled. “Kova.”

“On it.” She turned to her team, ready for orders. “Liz, pull up cameras. Cake, redirect our course. I uploaded some data into the Coeus’s hard drive. Allie, can you decode for Kenny? It’s Altean. Caleb, get me a hot chocolate.”

“No.” He spun in his chair, typing away at his console to check on weapons systems. Kova shrugged at her dad, who gave his head shake of disapproval. She didn’t mind much. 

“Keith, there’s a chair in the corner.” Kova pointed at the chair in its long-forgotten corner. Of course, he didn’t listen. Luckily for the teens, there was an all-clear. The teens climbed up the stairs, all hoping to reacquaint themselves with their sheets and pillows. 

The Coeus, once again, went _nyoom_ , taking a hard hit from the left. The teens slammed into the nearest walls. 

“Oh, I’m never going to sleep tonight,” Kova muttered with her head bowed. She stood, taking command. “All right, everyone, get to stations!” Keith had a first-class seat to the efficiency the team dealt with the threat. Unfortunately, now they were all too wired to go to bed. Keith wasn’t pulling his stunt again tonight. 

They’re kids! What do they know!

Kova was typing away at her console. The low light on the bridge had darkened her features, making her look more tired than she was. For once, the look matched the feeling. All the attacking and the running and the plotting were starting to take their toll. The universe didn’t have to know about Voltron just yet, but having to break the news to the Coalition might be the end of her. Or her career. Or both. 

“You ask her!" 

"No, _you_!" 

"Why do I have to do it?" 

"She’s _your_ pilot!”

“This was your idea!” The hushed, hurried argument between Cake and Liz was entertaining at best, annoying at worst. There was no reason for them to be up here. They knew Kova was more than capable to handle the bridge duties by herself. 

“Hey, uh, Cap?” Cake inched himself closer to Kova at her console. He glanced at Liz, who motioned him to continue, and he smiled awkwardly at Kova’s head. 

“What’s up, Cake?” She replied, still not looking up. 

“We, uh, um,” Cake cleared his throat. “We want to play a game up here if that’s alright." 

"I won’t interfere. Go for it.” Cake rolled his eyes and Liz smacked her forehead.

“We want you to play with us.” Kova’s fingers stilled over the keyboard and she looked up. Slowly she turned her head to Cake, who began to sweat bullets. They stood there for a few seconds as the message was being processed in Kova’s brain. She half-smiled and agreed. Cake, blown away that it worked, was dragged to the floor by the hand by Liz, who held an empty bottle. 

“Guys, she said yes!” Liz cried excitedly, and Caleb and Allie soon appeared. All the teens sat down in a circle on the floor of the bridge and placed the bottle in the middle of the group. 

“I think we’re too young to play spin the bottle,” Kova said. 

“We’re not,” Liz said, spinning the bottle. “It’s kind of like truth-or-dare, twenty questions, and spin the bottle rolled into one.” The bottle slowly came to a stop in front of Cake, who had finally come out of his daze. 

“Whoever the bottle lands on has to answer every question the other members of the group ask them truthfully.” Cake explained further. 

“And it’s your turn.” Kova pointed out. Cake smiled sheepishly and turned to the person on his right. This was Liz. 

“Lady Eliza, what do you wish to ask me?” Cake said in a fake posh accent. Caleb stifled a laugh and Allie covered her mouth. Kova smiled at the ridiculousness. 

“Why thank you, sir,” Liz replied with a matching accent. “Lord of Cakes, I wish to know your real age." 

"My word, Lady Eliza, know you nothing of proper manners.” Caleb couldn’t hold his laughter in anymore. At Caleb’s laughter, Allie laughed too. Kova giggled, which was enough to boost both Liz and Cake’s egos. 

“For real, though,” Liz said, dropping the accent. “What is your real age? I know Balmerans probably age slower than humans do." 

"I’m still your age.” Cake answered. “It’s human genetics. I live longer than a human but tragically short for a Balmeran. I don’t think about it too much." 

"Does that—” Liz started. A finger twice the size of her own pressed against her lips, and Cake looked away dramatically. 

“Lady Eliza, please! Only one question!” The three other teens erupted in laughter again and one by one asked Cake their questions. 

“What’s the story behind your nickname?” Allie was the last to ask, and Cake scoffed at her question.

“Easy.” Cake rested his hands in his lap. “I was trying to help my dad in the kitchen. He was working on a huge cake order at the time, and I thought I could sift or mix or pipe frosting or _something_. I wanted to feel useful. I tripped and caught myself on the counter and dropped a sheet cake Dad had been saving for his overworked pastry chefs. I wound up returning to the Balmera with some proper embarrassment from Talia, who sent pictures of me around the Garrison. I was famous as the 'Cake Kid’ before I even got there." 

"I thought you were told the story before,” Liz mentioned, and Allie shrugged. 

“I wanted to hear it again.” Allie rested her hands on her knees. “Who’s next?” Liz leaned forward to spin the bottle again. Round and round it went. It slowly came to a stop in front of Kova. 

“Can I start?” Cake asked excitedly. Allie nodded.

“Who’s Kyla?” Liz butted in instead. Cake pouted, but accepted it and turned to Kova. Kova had wide eyes, a look of fear etched into her face. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. May Allura forgive her.

“Kyla is my real name,” Kova answered, her hand reaching out to rub the back of her neck. “Kyla Hannah Kogane." 

"Ha!” Cake exclaimed, earning everyone’s stare. Well, everyone except Liz. “You owe me 20 GAC!” Cake turned his head to read the room and muttered an apology. 

“Who’s next?” Kova asked. Cake’s eyes lit up, but Kova ignored him and looked to the other side to stare at Caleb. “How about you?”

“Nope. Look at Cake.” Caleb answered. Kova said something about Caleb being no fun and turned to Cake. 

“If Keith and Pidge are your parents, and you knew they were your parents, why do you never call them mom and dad?” Cake asked his perfect question. Kova lifted her knees to rest her chin in the crook of her knees. 

“Keith and Pidge weren’t the perfect parents everyone imagined they were.” Kova started, looking off into the distance. “Oh, sure. They had their shining moments, but those were always with my brothers. It was never with me. I can’t remember ever calling them mom and dad. TJ always called them by their first names, and Kenny always called them mom and dad when I wasn’t in the room. When I left the Kogane home, I took a family picture with me. I stared at it every once in a while. I never had an issue because they weren’t parents.”

“Th-that’s s-s-so sad!” Cake sniffled, tears and boogers coming out of his eyes and nose. The other teens distanced themselves from Cake, equally disgusted. 

“Ugh, Cake! You asked the question!" 

"I didn’t think it would be such a sad answer!” Cake sniffled again. 

“Ew.” Kova shook her head. “Allie, you’re next.

"Alright. Um,” She began. She wouldn’t finish. 

The Coeus took another blast from the left, earning a quick response from the team. The bottle, disturbed from its resting place, rolled itself to the outermost wall and falling into a vent. The Coeus survived by making a wormhole jump about a week’s worth of travel, but barely. In the morning, Kova, Kenny, and Cake would have to suit up and make repairs. Calling it a night, the teens left the bridge and slept in their bunks, leaving the bottle forgotten and left behind. 


	20. Wavering Objectives: II

The training room lights were glaringly bright, shining the beads of sweat on Caleb’s face. His panting grew heavier as he continued across the training floor. The heat inside of the suit was unbearable, but the heat outside was tortuous. There was no way he was going to be able to do this. 

“How does this help with teamwork again?” He said in between pants. Shiro was supervising from above, watching Caleb walk through an invisible maze. 

Well, not quite invisible. It was made of glass and mirrors that reflected the burning light of the training room lights. To Shiro, they were clearly visible, and to poor, overheated Caleb, it was agonizingly bright. 

“You are supposed to put complete trust in the person guiding you through the maze,” Shiro replied, watching as Caleb almost runs himself into a glass wall. 

“Why Cake, though?" 

"Dude, I’m about as happy as you are.” Cake held both his hands in front of his mouth, anxiously watching Caleb walk through the maze. “Take a left. No, wait! Right! Right!" 

"Ugh, Cake,” Caleb groaned, carefully making his way through the maze. May Allura be with him. 

Outside the Coeus, it wasn’t any better. 

“No, no, what are you doing?” Keith exclaimed, slamming his hand on the main console.

“I’m piloting my Lion!” Kova shouted. Her screen showed Kova inside the Black Lion’s head, sitting at the console. 

“Are you a newbie? How do you miss that?" 

"Oh, I’m sorry!” Kova threw her hands up in the air. “Are you in the Lion?” Kova had been flying while Keith was backseat driving. At one point, while Kova was flying around, she rolled her eyes at one of Keith’s remarks about her piloting skills when she almost collided with a rock structure. She managed to not collide with it, but it did send Keith on a tirade. 

“I’m doing what I can with a war machine.” Kova’s voice was hard, her eyes fierce. 

“Exactly!” Keith exclaimed. “Why are you driving it like a car?”

“I’m the best pilot! Who do you think _you_ are?" 

"Oh, sure,” Keith scoffed. “You’re probably a good pilot, but that’s because of your dad!" 

"At least I have one!” Kova turned off the transmission before Keith could continue. Kova was breathing heavily, still fuming. “How do I even share genetics with you?" 

Hm, I wonder, Kova. I wonder… 

A transmission was sent to the Black Lion hub. She steeled herself for another argument with Keith when a different Kogane’s face appeared on the screen. Kenny, to his credit, was looking away when Kova’s face morphed from a sneer to shock to relaxed in her seat. 

"Hey, Ken,” Kova greeted. Kenny looked up at the screen and looked down at the material in his hands.

“Kova, what were you thinking when you took the navigational system from Keith’s cruiser?”

“What do you mean?” Kova sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. 

“Like, how are we going to upload the data?”

“Oh, that.” Kova looked forward to the rocky surface of the planet the Coeus had landed on. “I was thinking it could be connected to the navigational port on the bridge.”

“Well, duh.” Kenny rolled his eyes. “How exactly?”

“Well, if you could route the navigational system to the navigational port on the Coeus, maybe we could find a way to upload the data to my console.” ’

“Huh, but wouldn’t that mean rewiring the entire system?”

“Well, not exactly because we would be—” Loud stomps, and bangs from Kenny’s side of the screen echoed on Kova’s end. Before he could be seen on camera, Kova heard Keith’s voice. 

“She’s such a hard-headed piece of work!” He began his tirade. “Who does she think she is? She’s in way over her head! That girl isn’t a leader! She’s an overgrown brat!" 

Kenny glanced between his father, who was erupting in anger, pacing back and forth in front of the engine room door, and his sister, who was mocking the man’s words. 

"Uh, talk to you later, bye!” Kenny said quickly, shutting off the transmission to deal with one hot-headed family member. 

Kova sat in silence. Shutting her eyes, she let the silence overwhelm her senses. There was nothing. Just her and her Lion, surrounded by blazing stars, suffocating darkness, and foreign rock. With the silence, the thoughts she refused to voice came out. In a torrent of uneasy thoughts, the thoughts came fast and unrelenting. What would happen if they didn’t act? Should she hand herself over to Yorak and Vhix to keep her team safe? What if the crew of the Achlys is gone? What if Keith never recognizes his daughter? What if Kova led her team to their doom? What if they never returned to Earth? 

“Let’s activate some training simulations.” She opened her eyes and reached out to the controls of the Lion. “I can’t be thinking like that.” Before the training could commence, a blast created a crater not two feet away from Kova and the Black Lion. 

Kova took the controls and flew into the sky, hoping to lead whatever was attacking the Lion away from the Coeus. It wouldn’t be able to take another blow. 

“Jax to Coeus, I require assistance,” Kova called. “Repeat, Jax to Coeus, I require assistance.”

“Griffin to Jax, assistance on the way!” Liz replied, running to the transport bay with Allie following behind. They were in the med bay practicing hand-to-hand combat when the call came in. Blue and Green left the bay, firing at the cruiser attacking the Black Lion. 

“Smythe, take left! I got right!” Griffin ordered, swerving right. Blue flew left, where Allie was getting ready with her bayard. Inserting her bayard into the slot inside the cockpit, a large cannon formed on the Blue Lion’s back. It powered up, firing a sonic boom at the cruiser, momentarily distracting it. Green came up from behind and fired a few blasts from its mouth, knocking the cruiser to the rocky surface. 

The girls thought that was that. One cruiser down and Blue activated a special ability. 

Awesome, right? 

Well, wouldn’t you know? Three more cruisers appeared, firing away at the three Lions. All three Lions turned tail and flew away to regroup. Hiding behind the rock structure the Black Lion almost ran into earlier, Kova made the plea. 

“Black to Coeus, we require all Lions.” Kova’s voice echoed all over the ship, stopping Caleb’s overheating and Cake’s anxious nail-biting. It also stopped Keith’s rant and distracted Kenny from falling asleep. “Repeat, we require all Lions.” Just like that, the spell was broken. Cake deactivated the simulation and ran out to his Lion. Caleb, grateful that his torture had come to an end, did the same. By the time Red and Yellow had left the hangar, Shiro and Keith were on the bridge, watching the teens. Kenny and Shiro activated the particle barrier around the Coeus before Kenny ran towards the bridge. 

The cruisers fired mercilessly at the three Lions, who were doing their best to evade the attacks. Red appeared from behind and fired at the middle cruiser, damaging one of its boosters. Yellow plowed into the biggest of the three cruisers and flew to Blue and Green’s side. 

“Alright, team,” Kova said, facing the last cruiser. From left to right, the cruiser was faced with Blue, Red, Black, Green, and Yellow. All Lions of Voltron. 

Watching from a distance, Captain Scars-a-lot—oh, er, I meant Captain Seklok, smiled creepily. Darrar, the young Altean man who had been the Captain’s second-in-command, was watching in fear. 

“Captain, they have all the Lions.” Darrar’s voice shook, looking between the Captain and the unfolding scene. 

“What of it, Darrar?” Seklok said, slowly turning his head so his scars could give the scary effect he was hoping for. 

“If they form Voltron, we’ll never be able to escape!" 

” _If_ they form Voltron, Darrar.“ Seklok turned back to the scene, the creepy smile never leaving his disfigured features. ” _If_.“ 

Out of the corner of her eye, Allie thought it was just a reflection of light from the console. On a second glance, however, Allie saw this wasn’t true. 

"Duck!” Allie yelled over the transmission feed. Like a wave, the Lions landed with resounding thuds on the ground below. Kova was going to ask why when a bright purple energy beam flew only a few meters from above the Black Lion’s massive head. “Battleship to our right!” Allie reported. 

“Form Voltron!” Kova said over the comms, launching the Black Lion into the sky. Red and Green followed close behind. Blue and Yellow followed Red and Green. A transformation sequence later, Voltron stood in all its glory. 

“No way!” Kenny happily exclaimed from the Coeus. “They did it!" 

"Eh, could be a fluke,” Keith said, crossing his arms. “This is the first time they’ve done it, right?”

“You’re just angry cause it isn’t you in there." 

"Ken, shut up." 

"If you want me to shut up, then you can—”

“Enough, you two.” Shiro sighed, pressing his earpiece. “Kova, how are you doing?" 

"We are—” Kova began. 

“So freaking cool!” Caleb finished. 

“Sure, that too." 

"You formed Voltron. You are one unit with one goal in mind. One unit, one goal." 

"Affirmative,” Kova said, turning her attention to the small cruiser. “Ready team? Let’s go!”

The teens guided their individual controls, piloting Voltron towards the battleship. The cruiser fired at Voltron’s head, stopping it in its tracks. With a turn of its head, the cruiser tried to retreat. Voltron was faster. With a push on the controls from Caleb, Red fired a blast from its mouth to hit the cruiser. The cruiser easily evaded the blast, firing again. Caleb inserted his bayard into the port and turned, forming the legendary Voltron sword. With a swift movement, Voltron swung the sword and turned away as it passed through the cruiser like soft butter. The cruiser was sliced in half, exploding into pieces with the crew trapped inside.

Seklok and Darrar looked on with shock and fear. Then Voltron turned its head to face them. Seklok barked orders to retreat, to cease fire on Voltron. However, another energy blast was fired from the cannon on the ship. Voltron dodged the attack swiftly. Activating the boosters, Voltron flew towards the enemy battleship. As it was flying backward, trying to avoid Voltron’s wrath, a massive sword cut the cannon’s barrel, damaging it. 

Voltron held the ship by the cannon, making sure that everyone on the bridge could see Voltron’s firm, cold eyes. With a throw that would make a professional pitcher blush, Voltron watched as the ship became a distant star. 

Every teen looked on in smug victory, finally realizing they had fought a baddie with Voltron and won. Shiro smiled softly, Kenny cheered by fist-pumping the air, and Keith still had his arms crossed. 

“Great job, team!” Shiro congratulated. Kova sighed among all the cheering of her teammates. 

“That. Was. Awesome!" 

"This was way cooler than training!”

“You said it Cake!”

“Quiznak, that was fun!" 

"That was such a rush!” Kova was the last to speak, having varying forms of agreement from the other teens. Voltron turned to face the Coeus and the particle barrier that surrounds it. 

“So cool!” Kenny yelled, jumping out of his seat.

“Uh, Dad?” Kova asked, holding the controls. 

“What’s up, Kova?" 

"How do we deactivate Voltron?" 

I’m not going to bore you too much, but for the teens to deactivate from Voltron took as long as it took the Coeus’s particle barrier to do the same. Literal. Hours. 

—————

"They did what?” Yorak yelled, slamming his fist into the metal armrest. Seklok flinched at the noise but didn’t move from his spot in front of the Emperor’s throne. 

Yorak’s throne room had sky-high ceilings that opened to the dark sky above. Alcoves lined the walls, providing light. Well-armoured and well-trained guards lined the doors, holding Darrar back. Another two stood nearby to hold Seklok if he chose to run. Many in his place have tried, but none have escaped their punishment. The dark metal and stone throne sat in the middle of a large platform, with a tall back that bore the Fire insignia. Seklok kneeled before the staircase leading to the throne. 

“Answer me!” Yorak’s voice echoed on the metal walls. Seklok could only wince some more. This could be Seklok’s last few minutes, and they were spent with fear striking his heart. 

“They formed Voltron, my liege,” Seklok further bowed his head. Darrar was behind him, clasping his hands. 

Vhix stood next to Yorak’s throne, the only person in the universe who could meet his wrath and live. The only being who could save him. _Stars, help me_ , Seklok prayed. 

“You previously reported the Coeus had not recovered all five Lions.” Vhix was cold, unfazed, uncaring. Seklok was doomed. “You lied.”

“We believed they hadn't—”

“I’m not finished!” Seklok met Vhix’s cold stare and looked to the floor again. “You cost the Fire three cruisers, twenty-seven soldiers, and an energy cannon because of your incompetence.” Seklok trembled in fear with every fault Vhix pointed out. “Can you plead your case?" 

"N-No, sir.”

“Do you accept fault for the destruction caused by Voltron?”

“Yes, sire." 

"Are you ready to accept your punishment?” Seklok looked up to see Yorak stand from his throne, and slowly descend the staircase. He was pulling something from underneath his cape. He couldn’t say anything, only stand in protest. The soldiers were quicker, holding the Galra down. 

“No! Please! I didn’t know! I’m sorry! Please don’t kill me!” Seklok pleaded. Yorak smiled at the pathetic man in front of him. 

“Kill you?” Yorak laughed. “Why kill you when you can live out your punishment in the colonies?”

“W-what?” Seklok’s yellow eyes filled with tears, falling down his purple cheeks to the fluffy sideburns on either side of his face. “The colonies? But I’m a purebred.” Yorak pulled out a small dagger from his belt, holding it to Seklok’s face. 

“The colonies are for the trainees, and the useless.” Yorak held the knife at eye-level with Seklok. “Which one do you think you are?” Seklok’s eyes widened, looking at the knife. 

Darrar tried to look away, but the soldiers holding him back brought him in front, holding his head to stare at the carnage. Seklok’s screams echoed around the chamber, unrelenting. They seemed to last an eternity. 

At last, Yorak stood to full height again, kicking Seklok to the ground after the soldiers had let go. The once-proud man whimpered at the impact. Where his bright yellow eyes once were, there was nothing in their place. Holes in his face disfigured the man severely. 

Yorak smiled, grabbing a cloth from his belt to clean off the blood on his blade. “Put him on the first ship out to the colonies. They can deal with him there.” Yorak turned away to walk up to his throne as the two soldiers that held Seklok down dragged him away. Darrar watched in horror with tears running past the Altean markings on his cheeks. 

“Bring him forward,” Vhix ordered, and the soldier that held Darrar in place shoved him forward and pushed him down to his knees. “Darrar Bexxen. Altean half-breed.” Vhix reported to Yorak, now sitting on his throne comfortably. The anger present before was gone, without a trace. 

“Darrar Bexxen.” Yorak crossed his legs, resting an ankle to an opposite knee. “What does the last name sound familiar?" 

"Family is in the Gamma colony, originating from the halfbreed colony on Altea.”

“Ah, that’s right.” Yorak turned his head to the petrified young man. “You have quite a few siblings, don’t you?”

“Y-yes, my liege.” Darrar’s voice shook with every word. 

“It would be absolutely terrible if something were to happen to them, wouldn’t it?” Darrar looked up in shock. No, he wouldn’t. Right? They’re kids!

“They’re loyal soldiers, my liege! They’ve done no wrong!” Darrar said. Yorak smiled at the man’s boldness. His sense of family. 

“I’m aware.” Yorak waved his threat off. “I’m only speaking in hypotheticals." 

"You saw what happened to your predecessor.” Vhix turned to face the scared man. “ _Don’t_ fail us." 

"Y-Yes, my liege and lord. Of course.” Footsteps approached Darrar, and his heart couldn’t take it. It skipped a beat at every other step. 

“Report for command at daybreak tomorrow. You’ll be leading a surveillance team after the Paladins. _Only_ surveillance.” Vhix stood above the young man, holding a screen with all relevant information. Darrar didn’t say a word. Instead, he took the screen and allowed himself to be escorted out by the guards. He counted his lucky stars he could walk away without losing his sight. Yorak dismissed the guards, leaving him alone with Vhix. 

“I’m still against the whole idea.” Vhix pushed his hair back, sighing. “We’ve known Darrar was compromised for phoebs. Why give him a command?" 

"If we figure out how far the coup goes, we can destroy it before they spread the message to the other colonies.” Yorak stood, stretching his arms. “Besides, it is quite fun to watch him think we do not know." 

"What if he gives the information to Kyla?" 

"Dear, Vhix.” Yorak turned to him, a smile growing on his face. “That’s the plan.”


	21. Wavering Objectives: III

Kova padded into her attached ensuite bathroom, sighing and rubbing the back of her neck. The makeshift arm sling was starting to make a rash and the bandages were much too tight. As carefully as she could, Kova removed the bandages and rolled them into tight balls of cotton. The water ran cold, then warmed. Steam came from the top of the shower, filling the room. 

Emerging from the shower, Kova wrapped her hair in a fluffy white towel and dressed in her purple pajamas. Her eyes were closed the entire time, enjoying the quiet, steam-filled room. The mirror was completely fogged up. Kova reached up to wipe it away with one hand, using the other to unwrap her hair from her towel turban. Slowly, she pats her hair dry starting from the roots to the ends and back again.

She opened her eyes, seeing green on the once-white towel. Confused, she looked up. 

“CALEB!” Kova screamed. Caleb, on the other side of the door, covered his mouth to stifle his laughter. It failed. 

The door opened to a furious Kova with neon green hair, clashing with her dark eyebrows, bright amber eyes, and dark purple pajamas. Caleb couldn’t stop himself from choking on his own spit from laughing so hard. Kova’s anger stewed while Caleb attempted to catch his breath, wiping away tears. 

“What’s wrong?” He managed to say, taking deep breaths. “Thought this would be the highlight of your day.” Caleb’s body released an unholy wheeze at his own joke. Kova, ever the lovable hothead, glared at Caleb even more than before. Her hands balled into fists at her side, shaking with anger. 

“Caleb.” She said, grinding her teeth. Caleb looked up, covering his mouth to restrain his laughter. “I. Am. Going. To. KILL. YOU.” Kova shouted the last two words of her threat, lunging forward to grab Caleb’s scrawny neck. Caleb stumbled to a stand, then ran down the halls of the Coeus. Kova ran behind him, screaming in frustration as she ran into walls, clipping her shoulder on a corner. The pair chased each other, the distance between them growing. 

The other teens ignored the screams, continuing their meals. Allie stood from the lunch table to stop them when Cake placed a hand on her shoulder, sitting her back down. He shook his head, and she looked on. Eventually, she turned around, doing her best to ignore the screams.

Kova ran until the air in her lungs evaporated and the only sounds coming from her were raspy gasps for breath. Caleb stopped at the entrance to the next hallway when he realized Kova was now leaning on a support beam. 

“Kova?” He asked. She gave no response. Her wheezing became more evident as the seconds passed. Caleb was going to help her when Shiro pushed past him to get to Kova. 

He heard the screams and watched from the camera footage to see if they would exhaust themselves or actually kill each other. Glad it wasn’t the latter, or Shiro would never hear the end of it from Curtis. 

“Caleb, you know better than to prank your sister,” Shiro scolded. He was holding Kova like a princess, shushing her as he strode to the med bay. Caleb ran to stay behind them but didn’t say a word. 

This happened before, but way more serious. Like, Kova ending up in the hospital for weeks on a ventilator serious. She had to have an oxygen tank for months afterward. No one expected it, but it happened. When she returned, the teachers started failing her without proving it. The looks on their faces when Aunt Veronica confronted them was priceless, according to Kova. 

Shiro sat Kova on the edge of the bed, letting her try to catch her own breath while he grabbed the oxygen tank. It could only be assumed Kenny replaced the original oxygen tank and all its attachments, but again, it’s only an assumption. The green strap was around Kova’s head, clashing with her new hair color. The clear mask fogged up as Kova continued wheezing. Shiro turned it on, letting it run until Kova’s breathing normalized. She reached out to turn it off when Keith barged into the room. All three Shiroganes stared at the confused Kogane, who stared right back. 

Keith had his own individual observation room with shatter-proof windows, a bolted-down bed, and a door that can be opened from the outside. Kova was sitting on a small cot in the open space of the med bay only several feet away from the window to his observation room. He wondered why Kova deserved a cot while Keith had a cell. 

Kova didn’t pass out and wake up with murderous tendencies. No one tells him. I don’t want to be thrown out. 

“What happened?” Keith finally asked, shaking his head, approaching a kneeling Shiro. 

“Nothing major.” Shiro turned forward to turn off the oxygen tank. “Just a disagreement between siblings.”

“She’s wearing an oxygen mask.”

“Disagreement between siblings.”

“She said she’d kill him.” Keith pointed at Caleb over his shoulder. 

“Disagreement." 

"Her hair’s green." 

"Are you done stating obvious facts?” Kova snapped, pulling the strap over her head to fully remove the mask. “I want to sleep now." 

"Of course.” Shiro stood up, holding a hand out for Kova to hold. She took it, trying not to focus too much on the swaying room. He led her to the outermost wall of the hallway, letting her hold onto the wall. The men watched her stumble towards her room until the neon green left their eyes. They returned to the bridge, busying themselves with potential plans. Caleb unofficially grounded himself, sulking in his room. 

Allie and Cake approached the entrance to the bridge, where Liz was peeking into the room, completely entranced by something inside. Cake quietly approached her and blew on her ear. With a jerk of her knee, Liz rammed her knee into the metal wall. 

“Quiznak!" 

"Sorry!” Cake reached out to grab her before she could fall onto the metal grate floor. He didn’t. Liz fell onto the metal grate floor, causing more curses to fall from her mouth. “I’m so sorry!" 

Allie approached the door, peeking her head inside the doorframe. Caleb and Kova were at Caleb’s chair. Kova was leaning on his desk, and Caleb was using the back of his chair for support. The most noticeable difference was Kova’s bright green hair. It was hard to miss. Kova’s hair was loosely braided down her back. 

"Hey, look.” Caleb’s eyes met Allie’s, and he stood to full height. “They’re here.”

“C'mon in, team.” Kova walked up the few steps to her console. “In positions." 

Liz limped inside, Cake creeping behind her, pushing Allie into the bridge much more forcefully than intended. The teens sat at their respective chairs, waiting for the adults to join them. They sat for a few minutes in silence, hoping someone would ask. 

"Uh, why is your hair green?” Liz turned her chair to ask. 

“It was the first box I saw on the shelf,” Caleb answered casually. Kova scoffed. 

“You really expect me to believe that?”

“You don’t need to believe it.” Caleb turned his chair, propping his chin on his fist. “You just have to accept it.”

“You could’ve gotten firetruck red, or poopy brown, or even lilac purple!” Kova slammed her hands on the console. “But neon green and highlighter jokes were your go-to?” Caleb shrugged. 

“Oh, please.” Caleb waved off her concerns. “It’s not /that/ bad.”

“My hair is bright, neon green, Caleb.” Kova aggressively pointed at her hair. “How is it _not_ that bad?" 

"Uh, Cap,” Liz said. “Stop talking." 

"Why?”

“Next time we go to the space mall,” Kova began, studying her nails. “Maybe I should grab some platinum blonde. Ooh, no. How about some rusty copper?” Caleb physically shrank into his chair as Kova thought aloud. “Hm, Nah. How about highlighter yellow?” She smiled, staring at Caleb’s retreating head. 

“Try that, and you’ll never see Peaches again." 

"You don’t like Peaches!" 

The others sat confused about peaches, assuming they’re Kova’s favorite fruit or something when the saviors finally walked in. Kenny had foregone his cadet jacket, leaving him in a green t-shirt and black slacks and ugly brown sneakers. Keith looked more cleaned up, wearing a sleeveless gray vest with a hood, a black t-shirt, and gray pants lined with red ribbon and black combat boots. The Colonel wore his officer jacket rather than the white t-shirt he always wore around the ship. The three adults descended the staircase. As they passed, the teens sat straighter in their chairs. Shiro stood in the middle of the floor as Kenny and Keith took a space on the walls closest to Cake and Allie respectively. Allie scooted her chair closer to Caleb’s line of sight and the staircase. 

Guess she’s still afraid of Keith. 

"Alright, team.” Shiro began. “We’ve been out here for a while, and with the latest development,” He met Kova’s eyes. “It’s time to review, or at least, make a plan." 

"A plan?” Kenny asked. Oh. I guess the other adults didn’t know what the meeting was about either. 

“The Lions have selected their respective pilots. The paladins have successfully formed Voltron. It’s time to make a decision.” Shiro met the eyes of each team member. “Do you want to continue fighting here or do you want to return to Earth?" 

The teens sat in stunned silence. They have a choice to make. They’re being _allowed_ to make a choice? 

"Caleb?” Shiro called, and all eyes landed on the Red Paladin. 

“Return to Earth.” He said immediately. No gasps, no pomp. Just a fact. “We’re not ready for this. This is a war waiting to happen. We can’t do this alone.” Shiro nodded, ready to say another name, but Liz beat him to it. 

“I’m sorry. I know I’m on your team and I’m supposed to agree with you, but I don’t.” She was looking at Caleb, turning her attention to Shiro. “If we return to the Garrison, we’ll be shut out. We’re dumb, undertrained kids who control Voltron. The council will put us on the frontlines without a plan." 

"What she said.” Cake agreed with her, pointing his finger up at Liz. 

“We have the firepower. We can do more than just sit still and wait to be given orders." 

"We’re also undertrained,” Caleb argued when Shiro held his hands up to silence the two. 

“Allie,” Shiro said. “What do you think?”

“I agree with Caleb,” She said. “We can’t fight in a war. We would be better off with help than without. I only spent a night in my dorm before all this. I can’t do this again.”

“Keith, Ken, I’m guessing you both agree with your respective sides.” Kenny approached Cake’s console, arms crossed. Keith stayed in place, hands on his hips. 

“We fought in a ten-thousand-year-old war with Allura and Coran, the only surviving members of Altea. We had advanced alien technology. Our goal was to return to Earth and the Garrison.” Keith stated matter-of-factly. He gestured widely to the teens in their chairs. “They’re kids. They don’t have what we did." 

"Liz is right,” Kenny spoke up. “The council won’t touch them. They’ll put Voltron on the frontlines without a plan, hoping that will be enough to scare off the enemies.”

“They’re undertrained!” Keith turned his attention from Kenny to Shiro. 

“They’re resourceful!” Kenny argued, getting Keith’s attention. 

“Alright, you two.” Shiro stepped in between them to break their intense staring contest. “Kova." 

"Yes, sir." 

"You were the one kidnapped by the Fire. You met with their leaders in person. You’re also a top student at the Garrison.” He didn’t have to say it. This was all on her. 

“What about you?” Kova asked, gripping the railing around her console. “What are you leaning towards.”

“I’m siding with the most reasonable plan.” Keith scoffed, interrupting Shiro. “It’s not my team anymore. It’s yours.” Slowly, Kova released her hands from their tight grip on the railing and let them fall at her sides, and closed her eyes.

“She’ll totally agree with me.” Caleb had turned his chair. 

“Uh, she’s her own person.” Liz crossed her arms. Caleb scoffed in response. 

“We’ve been attached at the hip since we were kids. She’s taking my side.”

“How about you let her talk first?" 

"Why don’t you shove that opinion up—”

“Enough!” Kova said, rubbing her temple with a hand. “You’re both annoying. And right.” Kova looked up at Shiro, who raised an eyebrow. She raised her arm to her right. “We are severely undertrained. Not as a team, but individually. If we have the same goal in mind, we work well together. There’s going to be a point where Voltron can’t be formed and we’re going to have to fight as individual Lions.” Putting it down, she raised her arm to her left. “If we return to the Garrison, the council won’t touch us. We’re liabilities. None of us joined the LDP. It was our choice.”

“The what?” Keith interrupted. 

“You would’ve called it the Vehicle Defender Unit,” Kenny answered. “It was the defense program Pi- er, Mom, helped start." 

"And now it's—”

“The Legendary Defender Program. I’ll catch you up later.” Kenny turned to Kova and nodded his head for her to continue. 

“Our curriculum was updated to include battle strategies. As pilots, we learn how to gauge our enemies’ strengths and weaknesses, multiple defensive, offensive, and evasive maneuvers, and different wind speeds. As engineers, we’re taught the inner workings of warships, raw materials, and how to use them. As programmers, we can disable entire structures by taking out large chunks of code.”

“The point?” Keith asked annoyed.

“The point,” Kova glared at the man. “Is we’re prepared for war, but we haven’t used those skills. Besides, even if the council includes us in their plans, they’ll give _me_ the plan to execute. _I’m_ the head, _I’m_ the leader, and _I’m_ the top student. If the plan fails, it’ll be on _me_." 

"Kova, that’s not—”

“If we return to Earth, we won’t be given a second glance, by the council or anyone else in the universe.” Kova gripped the railing again, her tirade coming to an end. “We should stay, fight, and learn as much as we can before we return to Earth and deal with the council.” Caleb’s eyes widened, and Liz looked surprised. Did Kova really choose left? 

“Alright team,” Shiro said, climbing the stairs. “Get ready to travel through a wormhole.” Kenny climbed the stairs after Shiro and walked out of the bridge to head down to the engine room below. Keith stared at Shiro’s retreating back. Keith chased after Shiro, maybe to argue his point. The teens didn’t care. They followed their orders. 

As the wormhole opened before them, a heavy blast rocked the Coeus. The ship’s inner alarm system went off as the teens tried desperately to right the Coeus. It had gone off its directed course, heading for mere feet away from the wormhole that had opened up. 

Down below in the engine room, Kenny was trying to override the alarms. It was refusing to shut off, citing critical damage on the left side of the ship. Kenny tried to turn on the particle barrier around the ship, receiving an error message instead. Kova’s face appeared on the huge screen on the engine room console. 

“Kenny!” She shouted to be heard over the blasts. “Where’s the particle barrier?" 

"There isn’t enough energy in the reserve to power it!” Kenny yelled back, being shaken like a ragdoll. 

Upon the bridge, Kova stared at the small fleet of ships firing incessantly on the Coeus. There was no way the Coeus would survive if they didn’t activate the particle barrier. A million thoughts raced through Kova’s head, then /she/ took over.

“Shirogane, Griffin, Smythe,” Kova barked, earning their attention. “Report to your Lions. Garrett, report to the engine room.” The teens didn’t say a word, doing what they were told without a second word. Allie went along with them, sparing Kova a second glance. “Holt, transfer all remaining, unused power to the particle barrier.”

“But that will shut off the lights!”

“Afraid of the dark?” Kenny groaned in annoyance, doing what he was told. The firing stopped as the Coeus went dark, becoming an empty shell. Upon the bridge, Kova steered the Coeus toward the wormhole, still open in the sky. It was hard. It demanded much from Kova’s body. But it got the job done.

Red, Blue, and Green fired on the fleet of ships, hitting many in wings and thrusters. Blue fired several blasts, encasing ships in ice. Green flew around them, getting fired on while Red cut through them like butter with their blade. 

“Everyone through the wormhole!” Kenny shouted over the earpieces. Red, Green, and Blue stopped their attacks and flew towards the closing wormhole. They weren’t going to make it. Pushing their Lions even faster than they have ever pushed them, the trio raced each other to the wormhole. 

They cut it close by a tail, but they made it through. The teens cheered, thanking Allura they made it through. One by one, they reentered the bridge to celebrate. They stopped at the entrance.

Kova was kneeling on the ground, holding her arm. In front of her, Keith was redirecting the console, traveling to Earth. That was in the opposite direction they were heading. Caleb, furious at seeing Kova hurt and on the ground, held his bayard up to point the barrel of his weapon at Keith. Keith turned, face-to-face with it. 

The map on the screen was beeping, finding the nearest geolocation. 

As Keith and Caleb faced off, the beeping grew louder. 

“What is that?” Keith all but shouted. Kova looked up at the screen, still holding her arm. 

“We found Pidge.”


	22. Nuclear Decisions: I

Keith glared at the window. Shadows moved across the window, but they didn’t stay for long. The lights were glaringly bright, the bed had been bolted down, and the door can’t be opened from the inside of the observation room. 

He was a prisoner on the ship that found him.

“I still think we should eject him out into space,” Caleb said, arms crossed. Liz nodded her head in agreement, but the other three teens ignored the pair. The team was in the transport bay, mostly standing around watching Kova work on the training bot they brought on ages ago. 

Caleb was leaning on a wall, Liz stood on two feet next to him. Cake was at the base of the limp bot with arms outstretched. Allie looked between Cake and the mouth of the mecha, hanging from a swing.

Muffled noises came from inside the mecha’s chest, along with a couple of bangs. 

“‘If we did that, we’d be grounded for life’,” Allie relayed, looking down at Cake. “The flashlight died again and she can’t use the crescent wrench.”

“What size does she need?” Muffled noises came from the inside again. 

“'If I knew what size, I’d tell you’,” Allie stared at the mouth, repeating what she heard. “She sounds mad.”

“When doesn’t she?” Caleb retorted, leading to louder sounds from the mecha’s stomach, including some bangs. 

“I am not repeating that,” Allie said, leaning away from the mouth. The team was all dressed in their paladin armor, save for the helmets, in case of accidental launch. They also didn’t want Kova to feel left out. 

“What’s going on here?” Shiro asked, walking into the transport bay. Cake, Liz, and Caleb briefly stiffened, then relaxed as his words sunk in. 

“'Impromptu meeting’,” Allie stared at the mouth. “Yes, I heard you. No, I didn’t repeat anything you said to Caleb. Including that one, yes.”

“Uh, Allie?” Shiro stared at the Blue Paladin on the swing. She turned to look at him with big eyes. “Who are you talking to?" 

"Kova.” Everyone else in the room said at the same time. 

“And she’s?”

“In there.” Caleb thrust a thumb at the mecha’s stomach. A thud from the inside confirmed Caleb’s word. Shiro stared at the mecha with confused surprise. “She thinks we’re being tracked, so she’s trying to find the tracker.”

“In the stomach.”

“Yeah.”

“'I already checked the perimeter of the ship and the outside of the mecha.’” Allie began to relay. “'I wouldn’t put it past Yorak to put a tracker _inside_ the machine.’” Allie was half-inside the mecha’s sharp-toothed mouth, barely on the swing holding her. 

“That, uh,” Shiro stammered. Poor man. He’s still trying to comprehend his daughter inside the bot’s stomach. “If there was a tracker, wouldn’t it be in the head?” Kova’s thudding stopped, then furiously pounded on the cavernous inner body. They thuds traveled to the other side of the bot, where its spine would be, and it slowly climbed upward towards the head. The muffled sounds of Kova’s voice became less muffled as she passed the mouth to enter the head. 

“…so much time wasted! 'Wouldn’t it be in the head?’ Of COURSE, it would be in the head! That infuriating sack of…” Her voice became muffled again as she fully entered the head. 

“Can you still hear her, Al?” Liz asked, staring at the young girl inside the mouth. Allie scooted herself further inside the mouth, further falling from the swing. Cake retook his outstretched stance, bending his knees. 

“Just enough to know I’m not repeating anything she is currently saying.” Allie crawled out of the mouth, regaining her original seat on the swing. “Bring me down, please.” Cake nodded his head and got to it. Caleb walked over to help Cake and Liz took Cake’s original position under Allie. Shiro watched as the boys untied a long rope from the Blue Lion’s leg and carefully released it until Allie was safe on the ground then let go entirely. Caleb got busy winding the rope, and Cake dismantled the swing. 

“Why are you coming down? Isn’t Kova going to need to get down?” Shiro asked. 

“She’ll be coming out from the top. There’s a hatch.” Allie stared at the Colonel. Like clockwork, an old-school hatch opened from the top of the head. Kova’s hair had become messy, revealing her pronged bangs. She climbed onto the head and jumped off. Shiro lunged forward, but Kova floated safely to the ground. She figured out how to use her jetpack. When did that happen? Brushing her bangs back with her fingers, Kova held a metallic box the size of her hand. On one side of the box, a purple V with a curved tail was engraved. 

“I found it. Now, I can mess with it.” Kova turned to walk away. 

“Oh, no you don’t.” Shiro grabbed her collar, pulling her back. “Why is Keith in the observation room and why is Caleb saying he should be ejected?”

“I told him we’d be grounded if we did that!” Kova protested while Caleb stared with big eyes. 

“Kova!" 

"Keith deliberately hurt Kova to veto our decision.” Caleb stepped in, getting Shiro’s attention. He wasn’t letting go of Kova, though. “I don’t agree with it, but I was outvoted. He should’ve accepted that instead of taking control.”

“He didn’t hurt me.” Kova pointed out, pouting. “ _I_ hurt me. I pulled a muscle when I directed the Coeus into the wormhole. I had to take full control over the steering so Kenny could focus on the barrier and wormhole jump.”

“You have a bruise.”

“I landed on the step hard.”

“He pushed you down the stairs?” Caleb was furious, storming out. Shiro’s robotic arm followed Caleb, grabbing his collar and pulled him back. 

“Both of you to the bridge to talk to Pops and Cyrus.” Caleb and Kova grumbled compliance and stalked off. Caleb tried running to the observation room, but Shiro’s arm stopped him, tripping him. “You’re free to do as you wish, but stay away from the observation room. Alright?”

“Yes, Colonel.” The three teens replied dutifully, watching as the Colonel walked away. They looked at each other and smiled evilly. At least, Liz and Cake did. Allie stared at them confused. 

The pair entered the bridge, sighing and laughing. The screen was up, projecting an empty office. Barely audible grunts and a chair squeaking on the tile floor was the only indication there was anyone there at all. With small yelps and grunts, Cyrus appeared on screen, holding onto the surface of the table. The poor dark-haired boy seemed to be panting. The sound filled the space. Cyrus looked up, dark eyes sparkling as he saw the pair of teens on screen. 

“Kova! Kova! Kova!” He yelled, jumping up and down. “Caleb! Caleb! Caleb!” His foot might’ve slipped from the chair he was standing on, nearly sending him crashing to the floor. The teens let out their own version of a warning to the young boy, lunging forward. “I’m okay! I’m okay!” The young boy held up his hands, completely outstretched. 

“Be careful, Cy,” Caleb said, leaning into his chair. 

“Yeah, you don’t wanna get hurt.” Kova continued, resting her arms on the railing around her console. 

“I’m fine!” Cyrus repeated, waving off his siblings’ concerns. “Oh, guess what?” He turned to stare at the camera with sparkling eyes. 

“Chicken butt.” The older pair responded, earning them a look of annoyance. 

“The kids at school are mean!” Cy crossed his arms angrily, pouting. Caleb smiled, while Kova tilted her head. 

“How mean are they?" 

"Super mean!” Cyrus made a large arm gesture, almost toppling the chair again. “They don’t believe me!”

“What do you mean, Cy?" 

"I told them that my big sister and brother are Voltron!” Caleb snickered while Kova’s concerned look softened. 

“Oh?”

“Yeah!” Cyrus got lost in his little world, explaining the day like he used to do with his sibling’s face to face. “They’re so mean!” He ended his long tangent, pouting and crossing his arms over his chest. 

“Aww, Cy,” Kova started, staring at her little brother. 

“Those kids are so mean!” Caleb spoke over Kova, agreeing with Cy. 

“Caleb, they don’t believe him." 

"Who would lie about their family being part of Voltron?" 

"Um, your ex.” Caleb’s eyes widened, turning to stare directly at Kova. 

“She was not my ex!” Caleb pointed out, cheeks turning red. “We weren’t even dating!”

“Really?” Kova tucked her hand under her chin. “I seem to recall you thinking she was really pretty, and that—”

“Nonono, stop that!” Caleb jumped out of his chair. “Stop talking or I throw you off the ship!”

“You can try!” Kova stood up, planting herself on the ground. Cyrus looked on with excitement as Caleb tried to beat Kova up. Even Cy knew Kova always won. Something off-screen caught Cyrus’s attention, while Kova straddled Caleb’s back, pinning his hands. 

“Hey, uh, Kova?” Cyrus said, trying to get her attention. His voice was drowned out by Kova’s gloating and Caleb’s protesting. “Kova!” He yelled a little louder. Cy glanced off-screen, staring at someone and smiling sheepishly. “Kova!” He all but screamed directly into the microphone. The noise jarred Kova enough for Caleb to jump out from underneath her, but he was distracted, too. 

Curtis stared at the teens with a gaping mouth and wide eyes. The teens bore similar mortified expressions. Cyrus, for his credit, had begun to look between his papa and his siblings, wondering which one was going to pop first. 

Short answer? Curtis.

“Kyla Hannah Kogane, what do you think you’re doing?” Curtis sputtered, turning purple. I’m sure he’d be red if he were lighter. He also busted out the real name, too. “Is your hair green? Caleb, what the quiznack did you _do_?” As Curtis continued his wrath, Kova and Caleb hid behind Kova’s console, holding each other tightly. “What in Allura’s name is going on up there? What is your father letting you do?” Curtis’s voice became louder and much clearer as he continued his rant. “When you’re back on Earth, the _three_ of you are _grounded_! You hear me? G-R-O-U-N-DED!” Thank Allura the bridge had soundproof walls. “No hugs for Takashi! No boyfriend for Kyla! No human interaction for Caleb!” 

“That’s not fair!” Caleb shot up from his hiding spot. Kova tried desperately to hold him down, but it was too late. Curtis had seen him. 

“Oh, it _is_ fair!” Curtis shot back, holding the microphone in his hand. At some point, Cyrus disappeared off-camera and was replaced by a shouting Curtis. “Why is Kyla’s hair _green_ , Caleb?" 

"It was a prank!" 

"A prank?” Kova silently shouted, getting Caleb’s attention for a brief moment. 

“Caleb [middle name] Shirogane.” Uh oh. “When you get back to Earth, you are grounded for two weeks.” Curtis was now scary calm, staring into Caleb’s eyes to drive his point home. 

“I’m human.” Caleb placed an open hand on his chest, using the other to lean on the railing. “I need social interaction to live.”

“I never said you couldn’t have _social_ interaction. I said _human_ interaction.”

“It’s the same thing.” Caleb stared at Curtis confused. Kova stood up in a huff. 

“Peaches is _mine_!” Caleb stared at Kova standing beside him, then her words sank in. 

“Peaches doesn’t even _like_ me!" 

"Too. Bad." 

The teens and Curtis would continue arguing back and forth for a solid few minutes without interruption. 

Down in the med bay, Shiro hid behind a wall. Two drones and a person wearing Fire armor were trying to break into Keith’s room, watching him carefully. There was no way Shiro could take three enemies at the same time. 

Pfft. Who am I kidding? It’s Shiro the hero! 

Shiro remembered that one of the teens had left their Garrison-issued weapons on the counter on the other side of the wall. If he could get to it without getting too much attention from the bots, he could potentially hold the Fire member hostage. 

Shiro’s robotic arm slid along the floor, barely an inch from the ground. It thudded into the counter, getting a glance from the Fire soldier. Shiro held his breath for a few minutes before continuing his hunt. At least his arm found the counter. It slowly crawled along the counter wall, creeping upwards towards the countertop. The forearm piece collided with the edge, making another noise. The Fire soldier brandished his weapon, wildly looking for the source of the noise in the spacious med bay. In his fear, he didn’t seem to notice Shiro’s arm laying flat on the countertop. With heavy breaths, he returned to his work, banging on the door. Like _that_ will work. 

Shiro’s arm crept forward, only a few inches at a time. Metallic fingers wrapped themselves around the grip and slowly floated directly upwards so the gun was floating above the countertop. Shiro himself crept around the edge of the corner of the wall, inching itself closer to the Fire soldier. 

"Put your hands up,” Shiro ordered, pointing the barrel at the back of the soldier’s head. The soldier, to his credit, did it immediately. “Step away from the door.” Shiro kept the weapon aimed at the soldier’s head as the soldier stepped away from the door. Shiro pushed the soldier back, further and further until he was inside the other observation room. Quickly, Shiro shot down the drones and closed the second observation room door. 

“W-wait!” The soldier cried. He still wore his helmet, making his words hard to make out. “I can explain!” Shiro ignored him, opening the first observation room door. Keith glared at Shiro until he noticed the weapon in his hand. “Please! I’m on your side!" 

"Who’s that?” Keith asked, standing from his bed. Shiro led him out to the room next door, where the soldier was now furiously banging on the window. 

“My name is Darrar, and I must speak with the half-Galra!" 

"Why?” Shiro asked, voice rough. “What do you want with them?” Darrar paused his banging as Shiro responded. Darrar then pulled off his helmet, revealing his features. Specifically, his pointed ears and bright red Altean markings. His skin, however, was lilac in color, matching his violet hair. From a side pouch on his suit, Darrar pulled out a screen, showing it to the men. It was barely visible to the men, but it wasn’t unreadable. 

'MISSION: RECRUITS’

'TARGET: HALF-GALRA HUMANS’

Shiro and Keith looked at the top of the screen, completely baffled as they turned to each other. This was bad.

On the bridge, Caleb sat pouting outside the bridge door while Kova talked with Pops. Caleb couldn’t stand him anymore. 

“So,” Curtis started, much calmer than he was before. “You’re staying in space." 

"That’s the plan.” Kova nodded. Curtis leaned over a chair, putting hands over his mouth. 

“With Voltron.”

“Uh huh.” Kova nodded again. 

“Remind me why you don’t wanna come back to Earth?" 

"The council." 

"Ah.” Curtis tucked his hand under his chin. “Right. They wouldn’t _meet_ you, much less _interact_ with the rest of the team.”

“Have you told the council?” Kova sounded worried. Who could blame her? If the council knew, they would either demand the Coeus return to Earth or they would send an under-trained fleet after them. Thankfully, Curtis shook his head. Kova sighed in relief. 

“Anything interesting happen lately?” Curtis asked. Kova’s eyes widened. Does she tell him about the kidnapping, Yorak and Vhix’s true identities, Keith’s reawakening, and the discovery of Pidge’s still active navigation system? 

“I’m gonna let you ask Dad about that.” Smart choice, Kova. Shiro’s already on 'No hugs.’ Imagine what would come next. Out of the corner of her eye, Kova saw a truly scary sight. 

Yellow and Blue were flying around the functional MFE fighter jet, narrowly missing its shots. 

“Uh, Pops, I gotta go!” Kova said urgently, grabbing her helmet from the floor. She had left it under her console before her journey into the mecha’s stomach. 

“Uh, Kova, I’m not—”

“I gotta go!” Kova yelled again, running out the door. She jumped over Caleb, proceeded to slam her shoulder into the wall, and continued running.

“Guess that’s that,” Caleb said, stretching his arms as he stood. Caleb stared at Curtis with a half-smile. “Talk to you at the next team meeting.”

“Yeah,” Curtis smiled back. “See ya." 

"Bye." 

The screen turned dark and the audio cut out. Cyrus was playing pattycake with a dark haired teen on the floor of the conference room. Arthur had kicked his stomach bug a few days after the launch, but the past few months were hard on him. Without a team, he couldn’t fully participate in any classes. He started getting flack from the other students about being the seventh wheel, so Curtis took him as an assistant. More like a babysitter since Cy’s classes had been cut short due to a water issue in his school building. Curtis walked around the playing boys and sat at Takashi’s desk, opened up a screen, and began to write out a script. 

It’s nothing too interesting. Just a reference sheet for the things Takashi let slip while they were in space, starting with the accidental launch and Kova’s hair.


	23. Nuclear Decisions: II

Darrar sat in the middle of the floor inside his makeshift cell. As soon as he was given full command of Seklok’s former ship, he used the tracking device in the mecha to find the massive ship that housed the Voltron Lions and their Paladins. 

Speaking of the Paladins of Voltron, they were sitting in their chairs on the bridge. Three of them looked uncomfortable, one looked furious, and the last one looked confused. Shiro took in their expressions, wondering what had happened while he and Keith dealt with their new prisoner. You know what? Maybe he _didn’t_ want to know why Kova’s eyes glinted. 

“Team,” Shiro began, three Paladins already half out of their seats. “We have a prisoner.” They sat back down, readjusted themselves, and paid more attention. 

“They want to speak with the half-Galra onboard.” Keith stood next to Shiro with a hand on his hip. “Something about recruiting.” Kova’s eyes flared, her mouth curling in a sneer. 

“Eject him,” Kova growled. Eyes turned to Kova who simply gripped her arms harder. She had her arms crossed like an angry school teacher.

“There has to be a reason he’s here,” Shiro said, trying to keep the peace.

“If there’s a reason, why should we give him the benefit of the doubt?” Kova’s gleamed dangerously. “He snuck onto _our_ ship, where Keith was being held.” Keith’s eyes widened at the statement but agreed nonetheless. “Yorak’s after _me_. Eject him.” Kova ended with resounding finality. 

“We can’t just eject someone without a good reason, right?” Caleb turned from his sister to his dad. Shiro didn’t say anything, seeming to agree with Kova. “Dad, you can’t be serious!" 

"We have to think ahead,” Shiro said, turning around to look out the window to the inky black space outside. 

“This _person_ ,” Kova began. “Could reveal Voltron to the entire universe. Why is it fair to keep him here longer than necessary, where he could confirm suspicions.” Kova stepped around her console to stand in front of the railing around her station. “We either eject him or kill him, and last I checked, we are _against_ killing people." 

"Hey!” Kenny exclaimed. “Why are you looking at me?”

“Reasons." 

"Whatever his reason is, maybe we should hear him out first,” Keith said, half-turning towards Shiro. 

“Hear him—” Kova’s eyes widened at the blasphemous suggestion. She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “He’s looking for half-Galra, right? Chances are _he’s_ half-Galra, too.”

“We can’t boldly make that accusation, Kova.”

“ _I_ can boldly make that accusation! _I’m_ half-Galra!” Kova looked up, eyes losing their sharpness. “If the entire universe discovered Voltron returned, it’ll be a bad end for all of us.”

“Are you sure you aren’t exaggerating anything? Maybe we should keep him. Yorak might want him back.” Caleb turned around in his chair to stare at the back of Shiro’s head, in hopes of having his voice heard. 

“Have you _met_ Yorak?” Kova glanced between Caleb and Shiro’s turned heads. “He’s _insane_. He’ll do whatever it takes to get what he wants, and he currently wants _me_. We should let him go." 

"Uh,” Liz shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “Don’t we get a say in this?" 

"No.” All formerly speaking parties said at the same time. Liz reclined in her seat, meeting eyes with Kenny. He touched the side of his forehead with his fingers, keeping his hand flat. He also rolled his eyes while pointing at the arguing party. Liz smiled gratefully, nodding her head. 

“We were advised to keep Voltron a secret. We should continue to do that.” Kova ended with a serious note. 

“Very well.” Shiro turned around again, facing the teens. “We should cross-reference with the Altean database and touch base with Coran.”

“If Earth was so out-of-touch with the rest of the Galactic Coalition, what do you think the chances are they’ll help us?”

“I, uh, I actually, uh, um,” Allie stammered. 

“Allie?”

“Sorry.” She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. “It’s just that, I, uh…” Her words died on her tongue as she noticed that every pair of eyes in the room were now fixated on her and whatever she had to say. She looked like a deer caught in headlights, or whatever the Altean equivalent was. 

“Allie?” Kova tried to get her attention. “Allie.” The young girl began to shake. “Allura.” Kova’s deep commanding voice finally got the young girl’s attention, making eye contact with the young girl. “Look at me. Just me.” Allie’s breath evened out the longer her eyes met Kova’s. “What about Altea?” Allie sighed, nodding her head, looking determined. 

“I have authorized clearance over the Altean records.” Allie seemed to sit taller in her chair. “I wasn’t just trained by Altean medics, I was also trained by bookkeepers, advisors, and everyone else who had a position of power over Altean life.” She turned in her chair to face Shiro, Keith, and everyone else. “I just need a name." 

"Are you sure?” Shiro asked, glancing at Keith. 

“Yes.” Allie sounded confident, nodding her head.

“Alright then.” Kova stood to her full height, placing her hands on her hips. “Let’s go, team.”

“Kova.” Shiro tried to stop her, but she ignored him. 

“Allie, you can use my console,” Kova called out, watching the other teens file out of the bridge. Caleb joined Kenny on the long trek down to the engine room. Liz and Cake marched themselves to their rooms. Shiro, while hesitant, walked out as well with Keith on his heels. They would go back to the observation rooms in the med bay to interrogate their prisoner further. Kova was the last to leave, watching as Allie stood from her chair and climbed the staircase, slowly morphing. By the top of the stairs, Kova was now having to look up at the newly tall Altean. Kova was level with Allie’s shoulder, but that didn’t deter her. With a hand on her shoulder, the fear that had begun to brew inside Allie had seemingly dissipated momentarily. With a smile and a nod, Kova left the young girl alone on the bridge, closing the door behind her. The bridge door didn’t close all the way, however, but Allie was oblivious to this. 

Her thin fingers hovered over the console’s keyboard, wondering whether she should continue or not. Chances were her login didn’t work anymore, and she would have to contact Altean directly. With that thought in mind, Allie set to work with an ease that scared her. She had typed the call code so many times before. Why was she afraid she couldn’t remember it? 

The screen in front of the window appeared with three white dots on its Altean blue screen. The call connected just as Allie composed herself. 

“I truly hope you are calling to apologize.” An older woman with blonde hair pinned back in a high bun with a braid crowning her head, sharp purple eyes, and pale green markings pointedly said. She was looking down at a screen in her hands, pressing something. Allie took a breath to calm her nerves as the woman continued. She had looked up to glare directly at the screen. “Otherwise, I’m hanging up." 

"Please don’t, Romelle,” Allie pleaded. Romelle put down the screen she had been holding and positioned herself to completely face Allie. 

“Allura,” Romelle began, lacing her fingers together in front of her. “What do you want?" 

"I would like to formally request reinstatement of my access to Altean records.”

“Really?” Allie had been bowing her head. At Romelle’s reply, she looked up to see an eyebrow raised on Romelle’s bored face. “I would rather you apologize.”

“For what exactly?” Allie asked, confused. Even Kova outside the door could hear her confusion. She also jumped when Romelle slammed both her hands onto the table. 

“Are you playing coy with me, Allura?” Romelle’s eyes lit with anger, while Allie tried her best to not shake in fear. “For denying your title!”

“Denying my—” Allie repeated as realization dawned on her. “What title is there for me to deny?" 

"Allura.” Romelle’s tone softened, as though she were explaining something to a child. To be fair, she was, but I think Allie is old enough to think for herself. “You are named after the greatest hero known to Altea. You should be carrying her mantle, her title, her very _name_ , with honor and grace.”

“Isn’t it more honorable and graceful to let those close to her mourn than announce an heir?”

“What are you talking about?" 

"Her friends joined together to celebrate her memory.” Allie looked down to her hands again. “Announcing an heir to the Altean throne on that _specific_ day seems disrespectful.”

“Allura, your father served alongside her for a great many years. You were named after a person of strength.”

“So were a thousand others." 

"You are the daughter of the Emperor. The _only_ daughter of the Emperor. No one else will ever have that honor.”

“I know all that.” Allie snapped. “I still don’t understand what I have to apologize for." 

"For denying your title when you left Altea.” Allie’s jaw slackened. She couldn’t have been redder. 

“Is _that_ it?” Allie slammed her hands on the console, making Romelle jump slightly. “ _You’re_ the one that recommended me to the Garrison! _You’re_ the one you told me to keep a low profile! That’s why I dismissed the royal guard! That’s why I didn’t go around school announcing ‘I’m Princess of Altea! Bow to me, peasants!’ Do you realize how ridiculous that sounds?" 

"Why, I never!" 

"Never what, Romelle?” Allura glared at the older woman. “Never suggested the Princess remain a secret until she has learned some valuable skills, then become offended when she isn’t announced on Remembrance Day? Never instructed the guards to disguise themselves, then grew angry when they weren’t ornate enough? Never announced the name Allura when asked what my name should be, then wondered why a thousand others were the same name?” Allie was close to panting as she listed off everything in anger. “Because you did it, Romelle. You did it all. So it’s not my fault when I say that I don’t want to rule people that don’t know about my very _existence_! Not when I’m lost in a sea of a thousand strong.” Her voice softened as her rant came to an end. Her anger left her with every word until it all left her body. Only the humming of the Coeus’s engines remained, as a constant rhythm through the silence. Romelle’s violet eyes widened at Allie’s outburst, so still that Allie thought the connection had cut out. Romelle moved to compose herself, with hardened eyes. 

“No.” She said. Blood rushed through Allie’s ears as Romelle said that one word. “I will not reinstate your access. If you need something, you call me. Understood?” Allie wanted to yell and kick and scream at the unfairness, but she didn’t. She gave a slight nod, which Romelle pursed her lips at. “Goodbye, Allura.” The screen turned off, letting the distant humming take over. The star-studded darkness swallowed Allie whole, to which she gritted her teeth at. A hand on her shoulder cleared the darkness, flling her with fear. The fear quickly turned to dread when she turned to follow the hand to its owner. 

“You okay?” Kova’s usually sharp amber eyes had softened, looking genuinely worried. Allie had shrunk down to her original height. Well, the original height that Kova had met her in. Allie was shaking, small hands balled into fists at her sides. At Kova’s question, Allie’s bright blue eyes welled up with tears, falling down her cheeks. Kova managed to lift her other arm so that Allie could hook her arms around Kova’s waist, resting her head on the older teen’s shoulder. Kova wrapped her arms around the young girl’s shoulders, rubbing her back as she sobbed into her shoulder. Kova whispered in Allie’s ear, but she heard none of it. She continued sobbing until there were no more tears to shed and allowed Kova to lead her back to her room. 

———————

“What do you wish to do?” Vhix asked, looking from the front window to Yorak. Yorak’s features were shadowed ominously, with fingers laced in front of his mouth. 

“Create a distraction.” Yorak lowered his hands, staring at the huge white and orange battleship. “Draw her out.” Vhix made a round-up symbol, getting the attention of the lower-ranking soldiers, who set themselves to work. 

“Anything else?” Vhix asked. Yorak quietly eyed every structure on the Coeus until he found an odd-looking piece. A dingy satellite that seemed to be made of scraps was attached to the outer surface of the Coeus, almost completely out-of-sight. Almost. “Yorak?”

“Fire on the satellite.” Yorak turned, voice echoing in the command chamber. Soldiers immediately got to work, readying weapons. “Fire on the ones who come out until the Black Lion intervenes.” Yorak strode forward towards the different officers, each of them doing all but physically pinning themselves to the wall as Yorak passed their desks. Shivers ran down their spines, but they said nothing, briefly stilling their movements. Vhix followed, curious as to what Yorak had planned. 

“Ready the cannon,” Vhix ordered. “Aim for the satellite.” Vhix got an answer quickly. Target was locked. “Fire.” A small blast was fired from the wide array of weapons the ship had access to, but it was enough to destroy the small satellite on the Coeus. They waited for a few minutes, then a few minutes turned into twenty-five. Movement was spotted on the outer surface of the Coeus. The person wore Paladin armor, but it wasn’t the color Yorak wanted. The Paladin was red. Caleb was close enough. It would motivate Kyla to react faster. 

“Fire on the Paladin.” An onslaught of blasts was released from the ship onto the Coeus. Caleb barely had time to duck and hide when the shots began to ricochet off the metallic surface and onto his face. “Intercept his call." 

"Sec to Coeus, I need assistance!” Caleb said over his earpiece, his pleas being heard by not only the Coeus but also Yorak’s crew. “Sec to Coeus!" 

"Jax to Sec, incoming assistance.” Yorak smiled creepily as Kyla’s voice responded to Caleb’s plea. Sure enough, the Black Lion emerged from the massive ship, roaring away. Along with it came the other three Lions dragging a fourth along with them. 

“Griffin to Sec, where are you located?” Another female voice came over the transmission. Before Caleb could answer, another blast landed next to him. His scream echoed over the transmission. He was safe, relatively speaking. His armor protected him from any sort of debris. The shockwaves hurt like quiznack, though. 

“Hold!” Kyla called out. Another blast came from Yorak’s ship. “I said hold!" 

"Let’s listen to her, shall we?” Yorak said, much too pleased with himself. The Black Lion had flown to a stop in front of Yorak’s ship. “Hello, Kyla." 

"What do you want?” Her voice was cold, hard, and angry. Yorak smiled again. 

“I want you to listen to me.” Yorak leaned forward, imagining Kyla was doing the same. “Join me or watch your precious team be destroyed.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“Oh really?” The cannon mounted on the front of the ship lit up with purple energy, aimed directly at the Coeus. The Black Lion stood firm in its path, but it wouldn’t be a match. “Your choice, Kyla. Join me, or die.” She sat in silence in the cockpit. No words were exchanged, none of the Lions made a move. The Green Lion was perched on the Coeus, shielding Caleb and the satellite from further destruction. Blue held Red by a long tether, with Yellow directly above them. 

“Fine.” Kyla sounded defeated, but defiant. Perfect. “Don’t hurt them." 

"Of course, Kyla.” The communication cut off as the orders were given to open the hatch. The Black Lion was pulled in by a traction beam, disabling the energy inside the Lion. As the Black Lion was being brought into the transport bay of the Yorak’s ship, the rest of the crew of the Coeus could only look on in silence. 

Almost giddy, Yorak went down to the transport bay to meet his new comrade. Kyla wore her black and white Paladin armor with violet cuffs around her wrists. She wasn’t fighting the soldiers who grabbed her roughly by the arms. 

“Well, then.” Yorak shooed off the guards, taking their place on Kyla’s arms. “Now we can have our little party.”

“Little?”

“Yes.” Yorak shoved Kyla forward to the other side of the ship, where the huge telecommunications happened. “We’re going to announce the Fire’s return to the entire universe.”


	24. Nuclear Decisions: III

As Yorak finished his comment, Kova began resisting. She pulled back from Yorak’s grip, physically leaning back and away. Yorak smiled like he knew this was going to happen. His grip on her arm grew tighter as his knee pushed the back of hers. Kova fell on the ground hard, shaking her arms in vain. 

“Now, now, Kyla,” Yorak said like he was speaking to a child. “You better stop now unless you want your precious team blown into atoms.” Kova panted, pushing back one last time until her body sagged. She was hauled up to standing and pushed towards a heavy metal door. Yorak turned to Kova, smiling widely at the glaring girl. “I’m releasing you. You better not do something you’ll regret.” Kova nodded as the violet cuffs faded, falling to the floor with heavy, echoing thuds. Vhix appeared from behind, taking Yorak’s place on Kova’s upper arm. 

Together, the trio marched up a set of stairs on the other side of the metal door. It opened, and the bright lights briefly blinded the teen. Within a minute, Kova could see again. The entire crew of the ship she was on was standing below in perfect squares, looking up at the trio as they walked in. Huge screens were on two of the walls, showing a better view of the balcony they were on. A screen appeared in front of the balcony as Yorak approached. He smiled smugly as the telecommunication started with a swipe of his finger. 

On the Coeus, every screen on board had tuned itself to the incoming transmission. The same happened at the Garrison, where the programmers who trained to take care of unauthorized transmissions like this set to work. Unfortunately, the head programmer was on vacation and the team couldn’t get through the Garrison’s firewall. The Garrison was the only place on Earth that received the transmission, but that was enough to send panic through Curtis’s heart. 

“Ladies and gentlemen of our lovely universe,” Yorak said, stepping forward to become more prominent on the balcony. “Today, you are witnessing a historic event. One that can change the universe as we know it." 

Shiro had ordered everyone on the Coeus to report to the bridge. Keith, of course, didn’t listen, charging towards the transport bay. While he hadn’t been under supervised care in awhile, he was still recovering. Before he could even leave the transport bay in the MFE jet, the quick lapse in oxygen knocked him out. Shiro and Liz found him and hauled him back to the observation room. He would be fine. He just needed to rest. 

"The Fire has long remained in the darkest corners after a humiliating defeat and highly publicized death of our founder and first Emperor. I, Emperor Yorak, am now changing that.” Vhix pulled Kova along so she was sandwiched in between Yorak and Vhix. “The Fire is finally ready to make our grand premiere, with Voltron supporting our cause.” He gestured to Kova, who sneered. “My brother, Commander of the colonies, my sister, the leader of Voltron, and I swear to make the universe equal and whole. A balance that should’ve been since the beginning.” Vhix stepped forward, kicking Kova’s foot forward so they were closer to the screen. Kova’s fists began shaking with anger as Vhiz took the stand. 

“Imagine the possibilities of an equal and balanced world. The doors that will open to all those who join us in our cause.” For a brief minute, Vhix let go of Kova to make wide hand gestures. She took a step back so that she could look over Yorak’s shoulder. “Voltron stands with us. You will too." 

"No.” Kova stared directly at the screen. “We don’t.” With a right hook, Kova’s right fist connected with Yorak’s jaw, making him fall onto the ground. With a quick turn on the ball of her foot, she knees Vhix in the stomach, also making him fall. Yorak tried to stand, but he slips on the topmost step on the staircase and falls backward. Vhix didn’t have the same luck, so Kova kicked him down the other set of stairs. She turned to look forward, where her face was projected onto large screens. Her eyes look shocked, then determined. 

“My name is Kovalia, and yes, I am the leader of Voltron. My team has remained hidden for the past few weeks, but we have used our time to train and prepare ourselves to defend our home. My parents formed the Galactic Coalition in their prime, and I am not going to let anyone, friend or foe, destroy something I swore to protect. To everyone who stands on the side of good, of peace, I ask you to stand with Voltron. With us. To those who stand with the Fire, be prepared for war.” With that, Kova slashed her fingers through the air to cut off the connection. By that point, the soldiers down below had begun to find their way up the staircase. Kova climbed onto the wide railing of the balcony and jumped over the balcony railing before anyone could reach her. 

Her jetpacks were a godsend as she landed harmlessly on the ground below. As soon as her feet met the ground, Kova ran towards the huge doors that the soldiers were running out of. Several of them tried catching her but met the business end of her bayard. The weapon had morphed itself into a long vaulting pole. With a push, Kova vaulted over the soldiers, and the bayard morphed in mid-air. It became a small stun gun, to which Kova used to shock the door’s control. She didn’t take a second look, dashing down the hall. Through a matter of twists and turns, Kova found herself in the same area she had found herself the last time she was kidnapped. The doors refused to open, welded shut. 

“Halt!” Someone said behind Kova. She turned to stare at half a dozen soldiers pointing the barrels of their weapons at her. “Surrender!" 

Kova was panting in her helmet, slowly putting her hands up. Her bayard morphed again, turning into the long curved sword. With a swing, the barrels of the three weapons directly in front of had fallen off, the cut so clean, it could’ve been done with a razor. With two hands now on the hilt, Kova widened her stance, ready to fight. 

A heavy thud sounded on the outside of the door, throwing everyone off balance. A heavier thud and an imprint on the metal door was the only warning Kova had to get out of the way. Diving into a barrel roll, she held onto the frame of the door as a third hit from outside revealed the Lion. Yellow’s head bursts through the heavy metal. With a deafening roar, Yellow extracted itself from the ruins as someone complained about just replacing the door. Kova ran to the opening and dove out. Red opened its jaws and ate Kova whole. Quick as can be, Kova ran to the cockpit of the Red Lion, where Caleb was navigating Red back to the Coeus. 

"Where’s Black?” Caleb asked. 

“No clue.” Kova was panting, staring at the large ship that she had just escaped from. “They have multiple holding bays." 

"We can’t check them all.” Caleb agreed with Kova’s train of thought. “Griffin, use the BLIP. Try to find the Black Lion.”

“On it,” Liz replied, directing Green far away from the ship so it could properly scan it. “Large number of guards in bay three.”

“Got it.” Red flew towards the ship again, but Kova put a hand on Caleb’s shoulder. 

“Bay three has low-grade explosives." 

"How do you know?” Kova opened a screen on her arm, showing a picture of the ship map time-stamped on the day Kova was kidnapped the first time. With a swipe, Kova sent the image to the other Lions. 

“Bays three to six hold all explosives for the entire ship,” Kova explained, highlighting the respective bays. “I escaped from bay two, a transport bay." 

"What are we supposed to do, then?”

“Leave the LIon." 

"What?” Caleb turned to give Kova an incredulous face. If they didn’t have the Black Lion, they couldn’t form Voltron. 

“We have to.” Caleb tried to fight her, but as he continued thinking it over, he agreed with an exasperated sigh. 

“Team, retreat. Coeus, open a wormhole.” The Coeus opened a wormhole, slowly creaking its way through as the cannon on the front end of Yorak’s ship charged up. By the time it was ready to fire, the Coeus and the Lions were long gone. 

Onboard, Shiro said nothing as the teens filed past. Four of them went to their rooms, and one went to the bridge. Shiro eventually followed the teen as she removed her helmet to reveal her bright green hair. The teen stared at the bayard in her hand, a remnant of the Lion she had lost. That realization struck her deep. Kova, the jack of all trades, the pride of the Garrison, had _lost_. 

Shiro approached the teen from behind, placing a warm hand on her shoulder. Kova turned to meet Shiro’s sympathetic eyes, causing tears to fall from Kova’s eyes. With arms wrapped around Shiro’s large waist, she let the silent tears shed. Shiro patted the back of Kova’s head with his human hand, letting the robotic one turn off the lights in the bridge. While he said nothing, Kova could understand his meaning behind it all. 

It wasn’t her fault. She did what she could. 

Shiro led the teen back to her room, where she slept like a baby with the reassurance on her mind. Like a mantra, she repeated it over and over. _It’s not my fault._

————————

In the distance, far away from the Coeus, further away from the colonies Yorak mentioned before, someone important watched the footage, too. Their face was partially obscured by the shadows in the room as they rewinded and played Kova’s speech over and over again. Specifically, the scene before the footage cut out. The glare on Kova’s shield made it impossible to see her at times, but in that quick second, her entire face was on display, albeit obscured slightly by the helmet. 

Over and over, the shadowed individual played the second. There was something about the girl’s eyes that stuck familiar. The way her dark eyebrows pinched together as her amber eyes filled with determination. While her hair was completely covered by the helmet, it could only be assumed her hair matched her eyebrows. Yorak and the Fire had been watched for months, to the point where there were several moles in various ranks throughout the organization. Yorak had referred to Vhix as his brother, already known as a fact by the individual, but he referred to the girl as his sister. 

More details about the girl began to become more apparent to the shadowed person. How the girl’s eyes weren’t as sharp as once thought, they held the same fiery spirit. Her chin and nose were more pointy, likely coming from her mother. Her armor and helmet were signatures of Voltron Paladins, leaving a small space at the bottom to allow her to talk. Her skin tone didn’t match either parent, but this was suspected to be from other causes. Her name was the nail in the coffin. While her surname didn’t match any records, the unique first name she used did. 

_Kovalia._

With a press of a button, the individual opened a second screen with the image of a young girl. The little girl was seated in between a man and a woman with small smiles, but expressionless eyes. The woman wore a green shirt and dark pants with a pair of mint green glasses. Her chestnut hair was swept to her left side. The man wore a black shirt under a brown and red leather jacket, with dark hair tied in a ponytail. The little girl wore a pretty black dress with a lace overlay with a green ribbon around her stomach. Her dark hair had been braided to form a crown on her head. She was the only one who seemed happy to be there, giving the camera a big smile. She couldn’t have been more than three years old, but the picture was enough to get an age-progression of the girl. 

Leaning forward, the individual laced their fingers together in front of their mouth as the program did its work. As it aged the three-year-old and made an overlay of the teenager, it slowly confirmed what the individual suspected. 

The screen stopped, showing a 98% match between the adorable child and the fierce teen. 

“Finally.” The individual said, showing off their toothy grin. “We finally found you,” As they leaned further into the light, more features became apparent, like their pointed Galra markings on both cheeks, their two-toned hair, and their sharp eyes. “Kyla." 

Krolia stood from her chair. As she picked up the screens, deactivating them in the process, she walked to the door. Her smile never left as the automatic door opened, then closed with a thud.


	25. Brittle Relations: I

The days on the Coeus stretched into a heavy monotonous cycle. The team would wake up and perform daily duties: Liz and Allie would check on Keith, who was recovering, Cake busied himself with meals, Caleb and Kenny worked together in the engine room, and Shiro and Kova reviewed plans and caught up with Curtis on Earth. When the Coeus was attacked, only one or two Lions were dispatched if the threat was more serious. Otherwise, they stayed on board and let the Coeus do all the hard work. After that was done, they would return to normal duties and only saw each other during meals and briefings. 

Liz, Cake, and Allie could see the wear and tear on the Shirogane clan, but they said nothing. Cake and Liz worked with Kova and Caleb long enough to know they weren’t the types to back down, even if they were tired. It tugged at Allie’s heartstrings to see the pair with the dark circles under their eyes, that intensity in their eyes was just…gone. Upon cleaning the bridge, Allie heard a strange noise coming from a vent. On closer inspection, Allie found the bottle the teens used during their game. It felt like a lifetime ago when the biggest worry was Keith piloting the ship. Allie finished her cleaning and ran out of the bridge to find Liz and Cake with the bottle in hand. Together, they spawned an idea. 

A few days later, Kova was found on the bridge, typing away at her console. Maybe she was updating the info board. Maybe she was writing fanfiction about a life that wasn’t completely screwed up. Maybe she was writing a poem about peaches to make herself feel better since it is her favorite fruit. Whatever it was, the teens didn’t care. They saw Kova standing alone, looking more stressed out than she had been the entire trip, so they struck. 

“Hey, Cap,” Cake said, slowly approaching the older teen. Kova gave Cake a small glance before returning her attention to the console. “Cap, listen, we-" 

"I’m busy, Cake.” Kova’s voice was cold. 

“Okay, okay.” Cake backed away with hands raised in fake surrender. Allie, who stood at the doorway, rolled her eyes and all but shoved the bottle into Cake’s hands while he tried to give it back. Liz turned the corner, deadpanning at the scene with Kenny and Caleb on her heels. With Liz’s help, Cake walked back into the bridge exasperated. With a sigh, he puffed up his chest and marched (like, seriously _marched_ ) to Kova’s console. 

“You wanna play a game?” He asked loudly, thrusting the bottle into Kova’s imaginary bubble. Allie inched herself into the room next to Cake so she could be in Kova’s line of sight. Kova met Cake’s eyes then stared at the bottle in his hands, and back again into his eyes with furrowed eyebrows. With every second Kova continued to stare, Cake’s heart continued dropping lower into his stomach until he was sure it couldn’t go any further. Then Kova smiled. His heart shot back up into his chest as Kova gestured to the floor with her head. The others followed until they sat in a circle in the middle of the floor. Liz and Cake explained the game to Kenny, who nodded along. 

Kova was the last person that spun the bottle when they played last time, therefore, it was still Kova’s turn. Allie needed to think about her question, so it was either Kenny or Caleb who had to ask. Caleb went ahead, lazily turning his head. 

“What’s scarier: a weblum or a nine-month-old who is just starting to crawl?” Kova let out a dry laugh, looking around the room. She was wearing her lavender sweater, so when she started rolling up her sleeves, the others looked on. 

“Caleb, the answer is so obvious that I’m shocked you even had to ask.” Kova rolled her left sleeve up until it was around her elbow. “The answer is obviously-” Kova held up her now bare arm to show off the pink starburst scar on the back of her hand to the middle of her forearm, where the pink faded into Kova’s natural tan. “The baby." 

"The baby?” The other members of their team asked incredulously. 

“What baby did that to you?”

“Wasn’t that caused by burns on the Fire ship?”

“It was a _human_ infant, right?” Kova’s tiredness seemed to fade as the questions were being asked, replaced by amusement at their shock. 

“Yes, it was a human baby, no, it wasn’t caused by burns on the Fire ship, and it was Cy.”

“ _Cyrus_ did that to you?” It was Kenny’s turn to look incredulous. Caleb looked pleased with himself as Kova was the one to answer everyone’s questions. 

“Crawling humans are scarier than you think." 

” _You_ weren’t scary when you were crawling.“

"Then you don’t remember what happened to Stephen the Hawk.” Kenny stared at Kova absolutely confused until his eyes widened. 

“What happened to Stephen the Hawk?” Liz asked, leaning forward so her elbow was perched on her knee and her hand supported her chin. 

“Stephen Hawkling had a beautiful life, staying with Kenny since he was about two years old until his unfortunate demise ten years later." 

"What happened to the plush, Kova?” Caleb said, staring at the side of her head. She rolled her eyes and continued. 

“I accidentally crawled over a cord, toppling a lamp that was turned on, and it burned Stephen’s head and back. Ken never let me forget it.” Kova stared at Kenny pointedly. To his credit, Kenny looked shocked hearing about Stephen Hawkling’s demise again, but he seemed to remember the vaguest details, like how big the hole was. 

Allie wrung her fingers as she looked around the circle of friends. “It’s my turn, right?” She asked, much too quiet to barely be heard over the hum of the ship. Even so, Cake heard her and nodded. “What’s the most sentimental thing you kept from your youth?" 

"Wow, okay Allie,” Liz said. Cake gave a low whistle and a smile. Kova smiled, too, and straightened up. Her arm went to her back, pulling something out. Tied to the back of Kova’s pants, a matching black sheath held a small blade about the size of Kova’s lower back. As Kova brought the blade forward, she pulled down her rolled-up sleeve. 

“I kept Keith’s knife.” Kova held the small blade in her open palms. “I never had the courage to get rid of it, and I rarely use it. Besides the family picture and a blanket, I didn’t keep much from the Kogane household." 

"Does he know you have it?” Liz asked. Kova shook her head, reaching behind her to sheath it. “Kenny’s turn.” The teens turned their heads to stare at him. Kenny opened his mouth when a beeping went off. Liz and Allie checked their makeshift pagers, seeing an alert for Keith, and excused themselves. Cake stretched his arms out, then stood up to go to the kitchen, since it was almost dinnertime. Caleb asked if he could help, to which Cake nodded his head. 

“Well, I need to get back to the engine room,” Kenny said, standing up. 

“I’ll join you.” Kova jumped to her feet, dusting herself off. “I don’t have anything better to do.” Kenny nodded and made his way to the engine room with Kova right behind him. When they got down there, the room felt warmer than before, and the pair got to work on lowering the temperature, not saying a word to each other. Eventually, they figured out the heat was coming from an exhaust vent and it was facing the wrong direction. The two ran diagnostics on the entire ship, and when it came back as clear, they stood facing the other. 

Kenny stared at Kova then down to his hands as she redid some cables, organizing them in their compartments. Kova noticed Kenny’s mood darkening and finished quickly. 

“Hey,” She said. “You okay?” Kenny gave a small nod, still staring at his hands. He had turned around to rest his butt on the console panel. Kova found an engine box covering to sit on across from Kenny. “You didn’t get to ask me anything while we were in there. What was it?”

“It was nothing,” Kenny muttered. He laced his fingers together so they were holding each other. 

“Kenny.” Kova continued, crossing her arms so they rested comfortably on her thighs. 

“Everyone at the Garrison wants to be you.” Kenny’s voice was firm, making Kova flinch. “It doesn’t matter what life. You’re the Jax, near-perfect at everything you try, no matter what it is. Engineering, programming, even communications.” Kenny looked up at Kova with those blue-gray eyes that sent Kova back. “You’re just like _him_ , y’ know." 

"That’s not true.”

“Isn’t it?” Kenny looked angry. “You’re both half-Galra, you’re both the perfect soldiers, you’re both the best of the best, and-and,” Kenny shouted then grew quieter as his sentence trailed off. “And I never saw you guys again. You both left, one way or the other." 

"You’re just as talented.”

“You’re just saying that.” Kenny looked down. “I’ve been a Holt my entire life, and I still can’t be on your level." 

"Just ‘cause you think you’re not good at tech doesn’t mean you’re not good at other things!”

“Like what?” Kenny met Kova’s eyes. They were flicking back and forth in their socket as Kova searched through her memory for something, _anything_ to make Kenny feel better. 

“Remember that spider plant you used to have in your room?" 

"It was plastic.”

“No, it wasn’t.” Kova shook her head. “Pidge switched yours out with the one in the living room because yours looked better.” Kenny stared at her. “And! And remember that hybrid flower you made?" 

"The juniberry hybrids?" 

"Yeah! Colleen took them! The Altean soil is the only place they’ll grow, so they were grown there." 

"You’re joking.”

“I’m not!” Kova’s eyes lit up as she saw Kenny’s dark mood disappear. “You can ask Allie about them! She worked in the inner courts!”

“What about me and the inner courts?” Speak of the devil. 

“Allie, can you tell Kenny about the juniberry hybrids?” Kova scooted forward so that Allie was in full view. Allie stepped forward, her lips pursed and eyebrows furrowed. 

“They’re hybrids between Earthen flowers and juniberries. What else can I say?” Kova nodded her head, gesturing to Kenny. “They can only grow on Altea, and because of their rarity, they reside in the Royal Gardens." 

"That’s only an acre or so, isn’t it?” Kenny crossed his arms as Kova looked to a confused Allie and rolled her eyes. 

“It was expanded a couple of years ago because the formula was being repeated on so many flowers." 

"I love juniholts,” Allie remarked. Kenny all but jumped out of his skin at the mention of the playful name he gave one of the hybrid flowers. 

“What do they look like?” Kenny demanded, scaring Allie. She looked to Kova for help, to which the older girl put a comforting hand on her back. 

“They’re about my height, covered in green foliage, and they bloom pretty pink juniberries from bottom to top.” Allie described, retreating further into Kova’s bubble until she was in between Kova’s legs and Kova’s hands were messing with the braids on Allie’s head. 

“That’s the hollyhock hybrid.” Kenny was astounded. His heart was about to burst out of his chest. “They’re seriously called juniholts?” Both girls nodded. 

“There’s a lot more, but that’s my favorite one.” Allie and Kenny stood in silence while Kova sat, unbraiding and rebraiding Allie’s hair. Kenny had a hand over his mouth as the information sunk in. His hybrids survived. On Altea. He fathered an entirely new species of hybrid flowers because he didn’t want to do his programming homework. Like she read his mind, Kova smirked. 

“Seems you have Colleen’s green thumb.” Kova looked up from her work. “Sounds like a pretty good deal to me.” She continued to sift through Allie’s now curly hair to attempt a new hairstyle on the girl. In the end, Allie wound up with six small braids pinned to the back of her head over the rest of her hair in a modified half-up and half-down. That’s when Allie remembered why she went down there, to begin with. Dinner was ready. 

The next morning, the teens were bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in their places on the bridge for their daily briefing. Keith was still on bed rest but will be fine. The Coeus is approximately two wormhole jumps away from Pidge’s location based on current capabilities. Food was beginning to run low, so they would have to land somewhere to harvest food and water. The filters needed cleaning and the Coeus needed minor repairs, too, so they would need to land anyway. The prisoner had given more information about himself and the place he came from. While he described the area he grew up in as 'the colonies’, it was enough for Allie to figure out what he meant. 

“Allura, this better not be-” Romelle began to say as her face appeared onscreen. 

“Can I have access to the Galtean colonies?” Allie immediately asked. 

“Allura, unless you-”

“Romelle, what is the status of the Galtean colonies?” Allie looked annoyed and determined. An odd mix. Romelle sighed with exasperation, typing away at something off-screen. Her violet eyes went wide as she searched for something she clearly was not found. 

“There is no status on the colonies,” Romelle said, standing from her chair to call for guards. “Go to the last known location of the colonies!" 

"Romelle!” Allie shouted to get the woman’s attention. 

“Right!” Romelle sat down in her chair again and typed something up again. On Kova’s console, Romelle sent a full folder of information on the colonies. “Do make good use of it. I will alert you if we find them.” While Romelle disappeared, the folder and its contents appeared. Allie hurried up the stairs to Kova’s console as Kova stepped back. All the documents were labeled and written in Altean, and unfortunately, the teens don’t learn languages at the Garrison. 

“What was the name of the prisoner?” Allie asked Shiro, who was standing on the floor. 

“He said his name was Darrar,” Shiro replied, turning to look at the screen. Allie typed the name into a search engine under a subfolder. Fifteen different individuals popped up on the search, only about half of them with pictures because they were grown. Thankfully, Shiro was able to point out the prisoner. However, Darrar was much younger in the picture. Only a teenager since the pictures were time-stamped. 

“I didn’t even know Galtean colonies existed!” Cake exclaimed, staring at the folder. “You think that Yorak has been recruiting from the colonies?”

“He’s half-Galra,” Kova said, crossing her arms. “It makes sense he’d go after other half-Galra." 

"Stupid question over here.” Liz raised her hand as she spoke. “What’s a Galtean colony?" 

"Galteans are an uncommon hybrid of Galra, the people of Daibazaal, and Alteans, the people of Altea. The colonies, however, are a consolation gift between Daibazaal and Altea to foster peace between the two,” Allie explained, showing a map of the colonies’ last location. “There were four colony groups. Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Sirius. Darrar is from the Gamma colony." 

"The colonies are designed to move and interlock if the need arises. They aren’t attached to anything, just themselves.” Kova explained even further. 

“A moving colony?” Liz looked from Kova and Allie to the map on screen again. “How do you even keep track of it?" 

"There are supposed to be satellites constantly supervising them, with monthly updates." 

” _Supposed_ to?“

"Darrar has to tell us where the colonies are!” Allie ignored Liz’s question. “Yorak is pure evil!”

“I’ll try my best, but Allie, I doubt he knows.” Shiro sighed, meeting the young girl’s eyes. “Kova, what’s the closest planet so we can make a landing?” Allie stepped away from the console and returned to her chair as Kova closed the Altean folders and opened a map. 

“Senfama is the closest to us,” Kova reported, and Shiro nodded his head.

“Set a course for Senfama,” Shiro said, climbing the stairs. As he approached the door, he paused and turned to stare at the teens, who seemed more upbeat than they had in weeks. “Are you guys okay?” Shiro asked with a half-smile. The teens looked at each other than at him, just as curious. 

“Never better.”

“I feel fine.”

“I _think_ I’m okay. Am I okay?”

“You’re fine, Cake." 

"Yeah, we’re good.” Kova arched an eyebrow. “Are _you_?” Shiro laughed and walked out the door. The teens stayed on the bridge until it was time for lunch, then prepared themselves for a wormhole jump.


	26. Brittle Relations: II

The Coeus appeared on the other side of the wormhole with the beauty and grace of ocean liners. Its splendor, even in ruin, could rival its sister ship, the Atlas. Its beauty could not, however, make the trip enjoyable for its crew onboard. While the Coeus remained intact, many of the teens in the bridge were having a hard time _staying_ intact. Many of them were green, holding their stomachs or covering their mouths with their hands to hold down their lunch. Cake gagged, trying in vain to stop his lunch from coming back up. As he gagged, it made Liz begin to do so. Kova took deep breaths, calming her stomach. Caleb and Allie were matching shades of green, gripping their consoles to control themselves. 

“We are NEVER traveling through a wormhole after lunch again.” Kova had shut her eyes in hopes of calming her stomach. And will. With various forms of agreement from the others and a retch from Cake’s direction, the teens fled to their rooms. Kenny watched the entire scene unfold from the comfort of the engine room with a plate of sliced fruit in front of him. He scoffed as they fled, shaking his head as he took a bite of one of the slices. It turned into mush in his mouth, but at least it wasn’t moldy. 

“Please, I implore you, I must speak to the half-Galra,” Darrar’s voice shook as he spoke to Shiro through the glass of his makeshift prison.

“Like I’ve said before, whatever you need to say to them, you can say to me.” Shiro was firm, with arms at his side. Darrar still wore his dark armor, while Shiro wore his Colonel Jacket. Darrar’s violet hair had been held back by a scrap of fabric in an updo, messy after days onboard. The poor man looked defeated and desperate, begging with his dim eyes. Shiro’s stone-cold expression softened slightly as he turned to look at something off to his side. As Darrar noticed Shiro’s wavering expression, he tried to look at whatever it was. The edges and corners of the glass obscured the being too much for the Galtean to really see them.

“Who is there?” Darrar pleaded, banging on the glass. “Please, summon the half-Galra!”

“Enough!” Shiro said over the pleading, silencing Darrar. He sighed. “Enough.” Without another word, Shiro walked away from Darrar, who slammed the glass as he realized he was being left alone again. His shouts were met with withering silence as the steps grew silent. Darrar collapsed on the ground, tears brimming his eyes as the realization hit him like the cold metal floor.

He was as good as dead. Yorak won the war without even trying.

Far away, a voice alerted the crew of a landing, but Darrar could only hear the blood rushing in his ears and the almost silent hum of the Coeus. As Darrar closed his eyes to attempt to sleep, screams echoed in his mind. His fellow cadets when they began training for running away. His mother when he and his brothers were torn away from her. Seklok’s when he displeased the Emperor and left for dead. As the screams overtook him, he was shaken violently. His whimpers became screams as he tried to fight off whatever was dragging him away. 

Kova held on to Darrar’s shoulders as his screams stopped and his eyes opened. His shaking never stopped. Neither did his tears. The poor man was tortured enough. Behind Kova, Allie clutched the first-aid kit with tight fists. They heard the screaming and ran towards the observation bay. As Darrar sat up, Kova dragged him towards the closest wall. Sitting on the floor, Allie and Kova calmed the man down. Both Allie and Darrar seemed to process the other’s Altean markings at the same time. 

“It’s okay,” Kova whispered under her breath. “It’ll be okay.” Kova slipped a bracelet on Darrar’s wrist, activating the magnetic field. Even if they were on the same side, Darrar still wore enemy colors.

“Who are you?” Darrar asked Kova, then turning to Allie. “Where’s the Colonel?” Allie didn’t meet his eyes, unpacking the first-aid kit. Kova met his eyes after triple-checking the magnetic field had been activated on his bracelet.

“I’m Kovalia Shirogane, Paladin of the Black Lion. This is Allie, Paladin of the Blue Lion.” Darrar’s eyes widened, but Kova wasn’t done. “I understand your name is Darrar, and you’ve been wanting to speak to me.”

“Yes, of course. I—” Darrar tried to stand up, but his wrist kept him down. As he looked, a bracelet connected to the floor kept him down.

“I’m sorry, but it’s a security measure.” Darrar nodded his head, sitting back down. He looked up to meet Kova’s eyes again. “We came to ask you about the colonies.”

“Of course.” Darrar nodded again. “Where are we?”

“We have just landed on Senfama. The Colonel decided it was best to join an expedition." 

"Expedition?”

“I cannot answer what it is.”

“Is it because I’m a member of the Fire?” Kova nodded her head.

“I am going to remove your armor piece by piece. Are you feeling any sensitivity or pain in any particular area?”

I’ll spare you the details. It took two hours as Darrar flinched and twitched as the armor was removed, and Allie had to make sure he didn’t have any injuries. Then when Darrar wore only his bodysuit, the girls put Keith’s old poncho over Darrar’s head to remove the bodysuit. The time was halved. Regardless, it took too long. With even more spare fabric, they made the baggiest pair of pants in the universe, using a long strip from the back of the poncho as a belt. 

When they were done checking for injuries, they began their questions. What is the status of the Galtean colonies? Where are they? How long have the colonies been under Yorak’s reign? What did he want with so many Galteans? How long had he been involved in the war? On and on the interrogation went, until they had covered topics twice. Allie left to grab a bottle of water while Kova kept watching.

“I can help you get your Lion back,” Darrar said after a few minutes of silence. Kova shook her head, taking something out of her pocket. It was a small black box with the Fire insignia on its side.

“You’ve been tracked.” Kova handed Darrar the box. He looked stunned, confused even, to see the small box. “A similar tracker was found in the mecha we encountered.”

“He knew,” Darrar whispered under his breath. He handed the box to Kova, who put it back in her pocket. “He knew.”

“Who?” Kova asked. “Yorak?” Darrar didn’t say a word. Kova would have turned off the tracker, but she didn’t have her tools on her. Allie came back and held a closed fist in front of Darrar. He held his hand open to see two little pills in his palm.

“They should help you sleep so you can heal a little faster,” Allie explained, taking Kova’s place so the latter could stand and dust herself off. “The water is for you.” Darrar took the pills after a moment of hesitation and had big gulps of water. “When you awake, alert us. Have a good rest, Darrar.” Allie stood, following Kova to the door, letting it shut behind them. They dimmed the lights in Darrar’s room and deactivated the bracelet. Hopefully, his commanders would find him before Yorak did.

“Coeus to crew, call in.” Kova had walked to the bridge, turned on the screen, and began sorting the camera angles. “Sec.”

“Here.”

“Griffin.”

“Here.”

“Garrett.”

“Here.”

“Kogane.”

“Here.”

“Colonel and older Kogane.”

“Double here.” As the boxes lit up with every person calling in, Allie had typed in their names as the boxes lit up. When the Coeus landed on Senfama, the crew left in pairs. Caleb and Liz were in charge of water. Kenny and Cake were undergoing repairs to the ship and the satellite. Shiro and Keith had to search the planet for lifeforms and food. Allie and Kova stayed behind to watch over Darrar, and make some minor research. Why isn’t Keith on the screen too? Kova was too lazy to connect Keith’s suit to the Coeus’s software.

“Did you deactivate the tracker?” Shiro asked.

“Yes, sir. I also saved the universe and found my Lion.”

“Kova.”

“I haven’t gotten to it yet.” Kova rolled her eyes and looked for her tools. “We just got back.”

“Sending map of Senfama to the crew,” Allie announced, and every camera on-screen had looked down at their screens. “Senfama is a jungle. There should be a large body of water ahead.”

“On it,” Liz confirmed, jumping forward with Caleb on her heels. An alert came online before the power was cut short.

“Hey, uh, Kova?” Kenny asked. “Is there any way to return to the Balmera and get more crystals?”

“Power source isn’t holding up well, is it?" 

"Nope.” Kova fiddled with the tracker she found on Darrar, hoping an idea would come to mind.

“Random question, Ken.” Kova looked up at the screen. “What did you do with the extra solar cells?”

“Solar what?” Keith asked, but he was ignored.

“How do you know about the missing solar cells?”

“Long story. Where are they?”

“I, uh, brought them onto the ship. Why?”

“Kenneth, I need you to think, okay?” Kova had leaned forward to rest her forearms on the railing around her console. “If wired correctly, solar cells can be made into…” Kova trailed off on purpose to let Kenny come with the answer. 

“Solar panels!” Kenny and Cake exclaimed at the same time.

“I’ll send the materials up.” Kova nodded her head, and finally managed to deactivate the tracker. “Allie, cover me.” Kova walked down to the engine room, leaving Allie alone on the bridge. Using the Paladin Tracker, or the Teenager Tracker, Allie watched as Liz and Caleb crept closer to the water source and Shiro and Keith inched further from the Coeus. That’s when the entire ship went dark.

“Kenny?” Allie’s voice shook as she looked around. “Guys, this isn’t funny!” Not even the hum of the ship answered her. With only the sunlight streaming in from the large windows, Allie walked up the stairs to the door. Before she could even leave the bridge, she heard Kova’s voice. 

“Get back in the bridge!” Kova yelled, and Allie listened. She and Kova were the only ones still wearing their normal clothes, so when Allie fell down the stairs to her seat, it hurt. Kova kicked, sending a figure cloaked in dark colors into the console. The figure went to punch Kova, but she side-stepped, Allie froze when she saw a flash of purple on the front armor piece of the dark figure. “Allie, your bayard!” Quick as can be, Allie summoned her bow, pulling the string back so the quintessence arrow could form. Now if they could stay still. Kova took a blow to her abdomen, collapsing on the ground. When the figure tried to pin her, Kova pulled the figure’s leg out from under them. With a quick turn, Kova straddled the figure’s hips from behind, holding their arm with one hand and used the other to push their shoulder to the floor.

“Are you alright?” Allie asked, limping up the steps.

“Fine.” Kova gritted her teeth as the figure began resisting. “Do you know how long it’s gonna take to replace all those wires? This ship is hard enough to maintain!” Kova began to rant. “Allie, help me pull their helmet off.” Allie’s eyes widened as she held the string taut, reminding Kova of the arrow. Kova nodded towards the door, so Allie aimed in the dark and fired the arrow. The ding could be heard around the world. As the bayard detransformed, the figure tried again in vain stand-up, but Kova was faster. With their arm still in Kova’s grasp, Kova reached around her back to grab the knife in its sheath. Allie had grabbed the matching pair of Darrar’s bracelet from Kova’s pocket and put it around the figure’s right wrist, as it was the only one touching the ground. Letting go and standing up from the figure, Kova activated the magnet. As the figure stared at the bracelet holding them down, Kova pushed them against the console with the knifepoint at their neck.

“Deactivate your helmet or I rip it off,” Kova growled, sneering at the figure and their dark outfit. The figure didn’t move, so Allie pulled the helmet off their head. While Allie didn’t recognize the Galra woman, Kova did. Her expression darkened while the Galra woman’s softened.

“Kyla,” The woman said. She got the knifepoint even closer to her neck and Kova’s angry eyes.

“Call me that again and you lose your head.” Kova stood after her threat, deactivated and collected the bracelet, and stood in front of the door. “Allie, this is Krolia, one of the Galra representatives.”

“I’m not just that.”

“You’re right about that.” Kova crossed her arms. “She’s the reason a half-human and half-Galra exist in the first place.”

“Oh, please.” Krolia stood, rubbing her wrists. “You make it sound so bad.” Kova scoffed in response.

“What are you doing here?” Kova reached behind her to sheath the knife. “I don’t get the point.” Allie silently died as the pun set in, but Krolia moved past it. 

“I saw your declaration. Pretty impressive how far the family goes.”

“We _aren’t_ family.”

“I beg to differ, Kovalia.” Krolia crossed her arms, too, leaning against the console. “Headstrong, advanced, and prefers using a sharp instrument.”

“Get off the ship.”

“I came for my recruit. Where is he?”

“I’m shocked you didn’t see him as you cut the power to the entire ship.” Kova stepped aside from the door. “Darrar, get your butt over here!” Footsteps became louder as they approached the bridge. Darrar had dressed in his Fire armor since there were no spares onboard. At least he had the decency to look sheepish at being caught.

“Daibazaal sides with Voltron,” Krolia said as she passed the angry teen. “It’s wonderful to see you again.”

“Wish I could say the same.” Kova blocked the hall leading to the transport bay, leaving only the side door as the only way out. “May we never encounter the other again.” The door opened, and Darrar jumped out first. Krolia’s eyes softened, hoping to appeal to the teen. Kova wasn’t having it, watching as Krolia jumped out. Stomping over, Kova slammed the door shut, and marched herself to the cut power lines. Allie followed her since the bridge was scary to be in alone.

“Why didn’t you say anything about Keith?” Allie asked after Kova began her tedious work.

“What about Keith?” Kova continued working, connecting wires with electrical tape.

“There is only one half-human and half-Galra hybrid that reached an age to reproduce.” Allie began her thought process. “That hybrid sired three children, and you have confirmed the status of all three second-generation hybrids. The first-born is a maniacal genius, the second-born is a plant genius, and the youngest, which is you, is a—”

“A wannabe genius,” Kova said, slamming the door closed. As the door secured itself, the power slowly came on, with the lights turning on the brightest they go before returning to their pre-sliced state. “How did you figure out Kenny was the middle child?” Allie shrugged as they went into the bridge.

“Yorak has called you his sister many times before, and you’ve never denied it. He seems much older than Kenny, and you’ve never denied Kenny as your sibling, either.” Kova chuckled as she approached the console and reactivated all systems.

“Sec to Coeus, do you hear me?”

“Coeus to Sec, we’re all clear.” Various sighs of relief and cheers came from the team as they continued their errands.

“Keith is your father, and Krolia is Keith’s mother.” Allie had made it to her chair, where she began checking her injuries. “You met your grandmother,” Allie looked up. “And you didn’t seem too happy to see her.”

“I’m not.” Kova muted the Coeus to properly look Allie in the eye. “She had a chance to change what had happened and she didn’t.” Kova shrugged and unmuted the Coeus. Allie looked on as Kova smiled at Caleb’s screen because he was one misstep away from falling into the water. While his suit may be waterproof, it wasn’t float-proof.“

By the end of the first day on Senfama, the teens celebrated finding edible food on a planet. That’s a first. An alert came on while they celebrated, and Kova opened it. She expected it to be a systems alert, since they still haven’t cleaned the Coeus’s filters, or even an electrical failure (only Allie and Kova know what happened with Krolia and Darrar). Whatever it was, it should be fixed soon.

She was wrong and she alerted the team of such.

It was a weblum alert, and it was headed for Pidge’s location.


	27. Brittle Relations: III

It took three days to prepare the ship for launch. Besides the repairs and harvesting and the weblum, a majority of the urgency came from Keith. When Keith was shot with tranquilizers, it was Kenny freaking out and rushing the team. If it ain’t one Kogane, it’s another. They would’ve tranquilized Kenny, but they needed him down in the engine room. The makeshift solar panels helped a lot in powering the ship, storing it all in backup generators. By the third day, it was only a review of systems and they took off. The teens learned from their mistakes and traveled through a wormhole on empty stomachs. 

On the other side of the wormhole, the teens rapidly checked every map. In front of them, there was only a deserted and broken hull of a planet. 

“Kova, where are we?” Shiro asked with arms at his sides. Kova had pulled up the maps Liz had sent to the main console, while simultaneously trying to triangulate Pidge’s location. 

“Thayama,” Kova replied, finally able to translate the triangle. “Once a satellite to a larger star, it became too cold to sustain life." 

"Why is it broken like that?” Caleb asked, staring between the lifeless hull in front of the window and the complete planet on the map. 

“I think it became so cold, the entire planet kind of,” Liz replied, holding her hands together in a spherical shape. “Broke.” She separated her hands to hold half-spheres. 

“That’s the running theory,” Cake nodded his head with hands under his chin. Kova began talking to Kenny over her earpiece, working together to steer the Coeus towards Pidge’s location. 

“Hold!” She yelled, dropping the controls. Down in the engine room, Kenny turned off the thrusters. “Cake, Kenny, suit up, and let’s go." 

"What.” Cake and Kenny deadpanned, eyes comically wide. 

“No offense to either of you,” Kova began. “You look more gullible than I do.” Cake stared at Kova as she walked out, putting her helmet on as she was doing so. Cake looked around at the other four Paladins, who stared back at him expectedly. Slowly, Cake places a dramatic hand on his chest. Allie, who was across from him, nodded her head, confused. 

“Cake!” All of the Paladins jumped, but Cake was the only one who stood up, tripping up the stairs while pulling his helmet on. 

Together, the trio (ugh, unavoidable alliteration) boarded the Yellow Lion with a vague plan in Kova’s mind. Kova directed Cake towards the signal, narrowly avoiding several big chunks of Thayama. 

So, uh, what’s the plan?“ Kenny asked as Yellow neared the bright orange triangle. 

"Since Cake and I can defend ourselves, you’ll stay here until we need help." 

"That’s offensive, Kova." 

"If we need you, your code word is ‘dump’.

”'Dump’? Why 'dump’?“ 

"Cake, find a place to land here.” It’s safe to assume Kova never answered Kenny’s question. Yellow touched down on a giant chunk of land still attached to the bigger mass of the dead planet. Kova handed Kenny a screen after Cake led Kenny into the seat. 

“This is going to give you a status on the weblum." 

"How do you know where the weblum is?" 

"Kenny, not the time.” Kova glared at Kenny through their screens, shutting him up. She looked up at Cake and nodded towards the door. Cake nodded in response, gripping his bayard.

On the surface, Thayama wasn’t cold. There were no readings. Even though the suits warmed them, Kova and Cake could feel the chill of the strong wind. Turning on their floodlights did nothing to help them, but they continued forward. They could still see Yellow’s eyes when the first blast came. It came in between the teens, making them duck. Kova dived to the ground, summoning her shield. Cake summoned his minigun, firing a warning shot. Another shot came at them, hitting three feet away from Kova’s left. 

“Where are they?” Cake shouted over the wind. Kova looked down to check her screen, seeing the triangle point thirty feet ahead. 

“Not far!” She yelled back, pushing forward. Cake hefted his weapon up and pushed forward too. Three more shots were fired from the darkness at the teens, who continued forward. The shots kept missing, but when one hit a boulder, causing it to explode, it rushed the teens. 

At ten feet, the Yellow Lion was a dim blob in the distance, but the howling wind stopped. Kova deactivated her shield, stood up, and lifted her hands in surrender. Cake saw what she was doing, and did the same, except he held the deactivated bayard in his hand. 

Two figures approached the teens. Dark fabric hung from their shoulders, with a makeshift mask covering their blurry shields. Either they didn’t see their armor from the fogginess of their dark screens, or they weren’t the person they were looking for. 

“Who are you and what do you want?” One of the cloaked figures said, holding up an upgraded weapon. This cloaked figure was significantly shorter than the other, with their torn fabric cloak dragging on the ground. 

“We want to get you off of here,” Kova answered, getting the cloaked figure’s attention. They approached them with their gun, pointing the barrel directly at Kova’s chest plate. 

“Why?” The figure inched closer. “Who sent you?" 

"No one sent us.” Kova stepped forward. Only a step. “We followed a signal coming from this location.” The second, taller cloaked figure scoffed, standing next to the first figure. 

“Not until you tell us who you are and what you’re doing here.” Kova gave Cake a side-glance, who didn’t meet her eyes. Kenny took the silence to update Kova. 

“Weblum is approximately half-hour out." 

"Listen, we have to get you—” Kova tried walking forward again, but the first figure held up their gun. Now that Kova was having a little bit of a closer look, it looked more like a bazooka, if a bazooka was made of random bits and pieces. “My name is Kova, and I’m the Paladin of the Black Lion.” The taller cloaked figure hadn’t made a move, but the shorter figure had begun to shake their shoulders. They were trying to stop their laughter. “We have to get you out of this dump." 

"Why?” The taller figure asked, earning them a 'huh?’ from the shorter figure. 

“There’s a weblum en route to this planet.” The wind started up again, pushing the teens to their side. Kova held up her arm to try to block some of the wind. “Let’s go!" 

"No!” The first figure shouted over the wind, trying to hold onto the dark fabric over their face and the bazooka at the same time. From behind the teens, Kenny ran against the raging wind to reach Kova and Cake. 

“Weblum is twenty minutes out!” He shouted, diving in front of Kova and Kenny to make his face visible to the pair. “I’m Kenny, and we really have to get you both out of here! You know what a weblum is, right?” He looked at the shorter person, then at the taller person, hoping to garner some sympathy. 

“Matt?” The shorter figure says. “What are you doing here?" 

Jackpot. 

"Katie 'Pidge’ Holt?” Kova asked, getting a hesitant head nod. “And you? Who are you?" 

"I’m Hunk.” The taller figure said. “Hunk Garrett." 

"I’m Takashi Shirogane’s daughter.”

“Shiro?” Both said. Kova nodded.

“Let’s go!” Kova turned, dragging Cake by the back of his collar. Kenny stood up, grabbing the elbows of the two people, and pulled them towards Yellow’s general direction. 

“Wait!” Pidge shouted, turning around towards the area behind them. Both Kenny and Hunk yelled after her, but she paid no mind. Pidge ran back to Kenny after about thirty seconds with a satchel, and let Kenny lead them. 

“Hang on, everyone!” Cake yelled as soon as Kenny and his guests boarded Yellow. The ride in Yellow was pretty bumpy, jerking around through the wind. It bounced the passengers except for the pair in the cockpit around like balls. Pretty soon, the Yellow Lion escaped the strong winds of Thayama. The calm was disturbing after the winds. 

“Yellow to Coeus, do you read me?” Cake asked into his earpiece, ignoring Kova’s sigh of relief as they flew towards the Coeus. 

“Coeus to Yellow, what’s your status?” Caleb answered. 

“Mission successful. Prepare accommodations and treatment for two.”

“Copy. Transport bay doors open.” Caleb was right, and both Kova and Cake were grateful for it. Flying Yellow into the bay, they began unboarding and led the newcomers directly into the observation room. Keith’s room was dark, but he turned over as they passed by. Allie and Liz were on standby in the med bay, hanging out in the doctor’s office as Kova walked in to knock on the glass. Liz led Pidge into the observation room while Allie led Cake to the spare cot in the corner of the room. They asked them to remove their cloaks and suits, which they seemed hesitant about. That was where Cake, Kova, and Kenny left them, practically skipping to Shiro’s office. 

“Dad.” Kova was the first one into the room. Shiro looked up at the teens and 'adult’ with a bored expression. An inverse image of Curtis with crossed arms was on the screen. He smiled at Shiro’s expression, choosing to answer for him. 

“What’s wrong, Kova?” Curtis said with a funny deep voice, trying to imitate Shiro. Shiro turned to glare at Curtis, who began snickering. 

“Was your mission successful?” Shiro asked the teens, ignoring his husband. 

“Yes sir.” Kova straightened her back and crossed her wrists behind her back. “We successfully recovered Katie 'Pidge’ Holt and Hunk Garrett.” Shiro did a double-take at the names, pushing past the teens to head for the med bay. Kova came into her Pop’s view, who began to ask her about her mission. She confirmed and answered every question. 

“Bridge to the crew, weblum crossing. Repeat, bridge to the crew, weblum is passing.” Curtis’s last words to Kova were a demand to take a video of the weblum. Together, Kenny, Kova, Cake, and Caleb watched the giant weblum cross in front of the Coeus, devouring the broken remains of Thayama. 

“So, uh, how did you know where the weblum was?” Kenny asked again, and Kova sighed. 

“You know how there’s online tracking for dolphins and whales?”

“Yeah. What about it?”

“Researchers applied that to weblums." 

"You’re joking.”

“It took eighteen months to find them all." 

"Did they find them all?” Kenny asked, turning his head to look at Kova. She shook her head, still looking at the huge weblum. 

“We don’t need any scaultrite, right?” Cake asked with a smile.

“Please, don’t joke about that,” Caleb said with a flat look. 

That night, everyone aboard the IGF Coeus went to bed without a heavy thought. The lights dimmed, and the Coeus sang a soft lullaby. 

Early the next morning, Kova was rubbing a towel over her wet hair, grimacing at the neon green on the fluffy towel. As her hair went up in a towel turban, she walked into the kitchen to find Liz and Cake standing over a huge pot in the middle of the floor. 

“Um, what are you doing?” Kova asked, coming to stand next to them. The metal pot was filled to the brim with water, with a wooden stick sticking out of it. The water shifted from white to pink, reflecting the light above the teens. 

“We tried to wash the poncho since two people have already worn it without it ever being washed,” Liz began, looking at Kova. 

“So we started washing it, and we left it over one of the air ducts.” Cake finished, taking the stick and moving the fabric around. 

“The Coeus releases hot air if low temperatures are detected, and the metal heats up easily,” Kova pointed out, staring at the pair. 

“We know.” They answered at the same time, faces darkening. Cake kept stirring, lifting the poncho out of the water. It looked like a bad tie-dye, with patches of white and pink from the leftover dye. Staring at the patches, Kova had an idea. Taking the towel turban from her head, Kova fluffed her hair so it fell smoothly down her back. A little prong fell in front of her forehead, almost touching her nose. Two other locks of hair framed her face, curling next to her chin. Her hair was as dark as before, reaching her shoulders. The rest of her long hair was still bright green, ending with dark tips. 

“Would you guys mind getting the green out?” Kova asked. Wordlessly, Cake dropped the poncho and stick back into the water, furiously pushing it to the bottom while Liz grabbed a lonely chair in the corner of the room. It took a half-hour and not all of the dye came out of Kova’s hair, but it was enough to dye the fabric bright green. Not as neon as before, but green enough. Kova was left with a patch of hair that looked brown, but at least it wasn’t green anymore. As the dye settled into the fabric, the teens remarked how amazing the dye was, wondering what store Caleb had gotten it from. Cake and Kova deadpanned Liz, but Liz said nothing. 

Thank Allura it was early. 

Breakfast was served, as usual, Kova looked for any leads regarding Yorak, Allie searched for the colonies, and Liz took care of the three patients. Kenny was excited to see his parents together again, but to avoid being physically restrained to a chair again, he occupied himself in the engine room. 

By lunch, Liz declared everyone healthy, if only dehydrated. The five teens walked down to the observation room, calling for Shiro and Kenny. 

Hunk sat on the bed in the furthest corner of the med bay, wearing a yellow shirt and black pants and boots. His hair had grown to shoulder length, tied back by an orange headband. Sideburns grew long his face, stopping short of his beard. He watched as the teens filed in, wearing their Paladin armor. Cake wanted to wear his, while the others wanted to wear their normal clothes, but Cake persisted. 

“I didn’t think the Lions would appear again,” Hunk said a sad smile on his face. “Much less so soon." 

"What are you talking about, Hunk?” Pidge said from her observation room. Her door was open, unlike Keith’s. She stood from her bed and stared at the five teenagers. Kova had brushed her hair, a small braid holding back the prongs, and a bigger braid holding back the rest. Caleb had swept his hair to the side, crossing his arms next to Kova. Beside him, Liz had left her short brown hair down. Behind them, Cake wore an identical orange headband around his dark hair, while Allie returned to the dual braids on her head. 

“I was the Yellow Lion,” Hunk said, pointing out Cake. He couldn’t contain his excitement anymore. 

“I know, Dad,” Cake said, tears beginning to fall from his eyes. Hunk stared at Cake while he pulled up a picture on his arm screen. It showed a smiling Hunk with a little Cake, smiles wide and eyes sparkling. Hunk wore a spacesuit, while little Cake wore a yellow shirt with a small sticker that read 'MY DAD IS A PALADIN’. Cake looked up from the picture to Hunk, who did the same. Before Hunk could stand, Cake ran into his father’s arms, crying into his shoulder. The other Paladins, the current ones, barely had time to get out of the way. Kova was directly in Pidge’s line of sight, but there was nothing there. 

“You said you were Shiro’s kid, right?” Pidge asked, getting Kova and Caleb’s attention. Pidge wore the bodysuit of her armor underneath the poncho, now sewn at the open ends to form short sleeves. The rest of the loose poncho was tied by the random long strip on the back of the poncho. 

“Yes, but there is someone you’d rather meet first,” Kova said, smiling slyly. (ALLITERATION). Kova walked towards the other door, the other teens stepped back to give Pidge room to move around. Their grins were wide as Kova opened the door, turning on the lights. A pillow flew in the direction of her head, with muffled grumbling coming from the bed. Thankfully, Kenny had arrived. 

“Hey, we have someone for you to meet.” More grumbling comes from a mass of blankets on the bed, missing a pillow. Kova carefully stepped further into the room, ever closer to the bed. “C'mon, it’ll be good for you.” Even more grumbling, but at least Kova could hear it. She grabbed an edge of the blanket, pulling it away from the being’s face. “Keith, that’s a very rude thing to say to someone.” Keith’s dark hair barely peeked out of the white sheets, turning to glare at Kova. 

“Keith?” Pidge whispered, eyes wide. “Keith Kogane?” That was enough to lift Keith out of bed, to stare at the woman on the other side of the room. Kova stepped out of the way just as Keith launched out of bed to embrace Pidge. Crying, they fell to the floor. Pidge leaned into his shoulder, grabbing fistfuls of Keith’s vest. Keith had one hand on Pidge’s head, combed into her light brown hair, while the other easily wrapped around her back. Cake and Hunk stood together to watch the scene unfold, with Hunk’s arm wrapped around Cake’s shoulders. Kenny silently sobbed in the doorway, watching his parents. Ten years. He waited for ten years. 

Kova smiled at the happy reunion, already wondering what they would do. Pidge’s next words, though, struck a lightning bolt through Kova’s heart. As Pidge sniffled, and Keith wiped his tears away, they pulled away from the other to meet each other’s eyes. 

“Now,” Pidge started, wiping away a tear. “Let’s find our daughter.”


	28. Juvenile Matters: I

“What do you mean ‘no’?” Pidge angrily said. The teens stared at Kova, looking to her for a cue. 

“I don’t have to explain myself to you.” Kova had placed a hand on her hip, light brown eyes glinting. She said nothing more, turning around and leaving the med bay. Caleb followed her out, leading the others in order of color: Green, Yellow, and Blue. Allie smiled apologetically before leaving. The teens marched to the bridge, where they took their respective seats. Like a mama duck to her ducklings, Kova waited until every member was seated. 

“We aren’t going back to Earth, right?” Caleb was the first to speak. Kova had walked around her console to grip the railing. She nodded curtly. 

“Is it not our responsibility to ensure them a safe return?” Allie quietly remarked. Again, Kova nodded. 

“So,” Liz was next. “What are we doing first?” Kova had been glaring into space (mental space, not actual space), so when she looked up to glare at actual space outside the windows at the front of the Coeus, Kova had the beginnings of a plan. 

“Between the lost colonies, defeating Yorak, and retrieving the Black Lion, we have our hands tied,” Kova said, standing with arms at her sides. “That isn’t including solving the mystery of the cut contact between the Galactic Coalition and what Yorak is doing with the colonies." 

"What _are_ the colonies exactly?” Caleb asked as Kova pulled up a screen. Onscreen, a timelapse video began playing. It showed Altea and Daibazaal ships flying around each other, slowly constructing something in the dark space in between the two planets. 

“The Galtean colonies were a gift between Altea and Daibazaal, in hopes to foster a new alliance and a new generation.” Kova sped up the timelapse as she spoke, watching as the cores of the colonies took shape. “They colonies are designed to interlock and disconnect depending on the circumstance.”

“Wait, interlock? Like, connect together?” Liz asked, clasping her hands together to further her point. Kova nodded, returning her eyes to the screen. 

“There are four of these systems built.” Allie stood up to point out the four colonies as they were built. “The first, Alpha, housed warehouses and ship ports. They were the repairers of the four. The second, Beta, housed libraries, schools, social buildings. The third, Gamma, is the largest since they are the residential colony. The fourth, Sirius, wasn’t included until late in the plans, but they are the strongest of the four." 

"How, exactly?” Caleb had crossed his leg so his ankle met his opposite knee. He rested his head on a fist, his elbow touching the armrest. 

“Sirius housed the military and a hospital,” Kova answered bluntly. Allie had turned when Caleb asked, so she pointed at Kova with both hands close to her chest. As she sat, the four colonies grew until they were one large city floating in the air. Alteans and Galra alike cheered as the interlocked colonies took flight on its own. An Altean blue particle barrier activated itself around the colonies when they were far enough away from Altea, where they had been originally constructed. As the timelapse ended, Kova pulled up reports of the last sighting of the Galtean colonies. A folder simply labeled 'BIRTHS’ caught Caleb’s attention. He rose his head to get a closer look. It was enough for Allie to explain what had happened. 

The Alteans and Galra who volunteered to live in the colonies were also assisted in fertility treatments. Over the past thirty years since their construction, thousands of Altean, Galra, and the uncommon Galtean infants were born with more success each time. Allie explained that Galra DNA can become incredibly hostile towards foreign genetic material, causing it to basically eat itself as it is forming. With absolutely no idea how human researchers figured out how to 'turn off’ the genetic hostility in growing babies. Galteans, unfortunately, still have shorter lifespans compared to either race. The same went for every Galra half-breed, no matter what the other half was. Cake, Allie, and Kova looked fine, while Liz and Caleb looked panicked. Kova had to roll her eyes and explain she wasn’t dying until at least one-hundred. The same went for Cake and Allie.

“Help us look for our daughter!” Keith demanded as he stomped into the bridge. He brushed past Kova at her console, shoved Allie into her seat, and stood in the middle of the floor with blue-gray eyes glaring at the five teens. 

“Not until you say the magic word.” Kova raised her hands in surrender, even taking a step back from her console. Keith was having none of it, baring his teeth.

“Now.” His voice was a near growl as the other adults walked in. Pidge and Hunk took a moment to admire the bridge in its glory. Pidge locked her eyes on the vast space outside the large floor-to-ceiling windows at the front of the Coeus. Hunk noticed the tension in the room but was already halfway down the stairs. Shiro and Kenny rushed in behind the teen at the front. 

“Please,” Pidge pleaded, tearing her gaze away from the window. Her hands wrapped themselves around Keith’s bicep, softening his expression. “Please. We need to find our daughter." 

"Okay.” Kova shrugged, stepping to her console. She flicked her eyes from the screen to Keith. “That’s all you had to say.” Closing the files they were looking at, Kova opened the Garrison student database. 

“When did you…” Shiro trailed off, pointing at the screen. Kova once again shrugged, typing in credentials. 

“Let me know when you need to upgrade the firewall,” Kova said, looking up at the screen. 

“How is the Garrison going to help us?” Keith demanded, glaring at the teen. While the teens and Kenny looked panicked, Kova’s face never shifted, remaining an almost bored neutral.

“Keith Kogane and Katie Holt have successful careers in humanitarian relief and aerospace engineering because of their time at the Galaxy Garrison.” Kova sounded as bored as your facial expression seemed to show. “If they were to have a kid, they would likely attend the school their parents attended." 

"Yeah, that makes sense,” Hunk said after a moment, shrugging and closing his eyes as he spoke. 

“Besides, while we see the GSD, there’s an underlying code connected to other school databases throughout the entire state.” Kova moved her cursor over the search bar, readying her hands over the keyboard. “What’s her name?" 

"You can’t do that,” Pidge exclaimed. 

“Kyla,” Keith said at the same time. 

“I can do that, and I did that. Now, Kyla Kogane?" 

"Yes.” Keith nodded his head. “K-Y-L-A." 

"I can spell, thanks,” Kova retorted, typing the name into the search bar. “This system will check the whole name, then the two names separately. It’s not instant, but it will search through every available database.” Hitting run, Kova leaned on the railing to her right, Caleb crossed his leg again, Liz rested her elbows on the desk so her head rested on her hands, Cake leaned back into his chair with hands behind his head, and Allie rubbed her side where her ribs met the edge of the desk. Oh, wait till Kova found out. There was no way Keith would survive Kova’s wrath. 

It was only a few minutes, but those few minutes were enough for Shiro to join the other adults on the floor. Kenny stayed above next to Kova, studying the screen. 

The results read as follows: KYLA KOGANE - 0 RESULTS; KYLA - 5 RESULTS OOD; KOGANE - 2 RESULTS WD. 

As the red 0 embedded itself into Pidge and Keith’s memory, Kova stretched her arms. 

“OOD is out-of-district, which just means it’s not at the Garrison. WD is within the district, meaning—" 

"That there are two pings inside the GSD,” Kenny finished for Kova, staring at the screen. He turned to meet Kova’s eyes, and she did the same. The two shared a look, saying more than would ever be said between the two. 

“The five,” Keith said, approaching the screen to reach his hand out. “Can we see them?" 

"Yeah, but I seriously doubt it’s your girl.”

“Do it.” Shiro worriedly looked from Keith to Kova, the latter shrugged and did what she was told to do. 

The five individuals appeared on the screen. Two were from the same district, one was from a different one, and the other two were black and white images from a third district. The first was a boarding school, and one of the individuals was a teacher at the facility. Her hair was silver, wrapped in a fancy bun, and a scowl embedded into her face. Kyla Hannigan, as the teacher was named, was also one of the black and white pictures from the third district. She had the same scowl on her face, although she looked forty years younger. Kyla Marrow, the other black and white girl, passed away several years ago, leaving a granddaughter also named Kyla Marrow, the only Kyla in her public school. The last Kyla, the one from the boarding school where Ms. Hannigan taught, was in her first year. Maybe twelve years old, if that.

Kova didn’t mention any of this, just pointed out vague details on each of the Kylas, and the pictures confirmed there was no connection between any of these Kylas and the missing Kogane girl. 

“The two results of Kogane within the district are,” Kova said as she exited the 'Kyla’ search results and entered the 'Kogane’ results. “Takashi Heath Kogane and Kenneth Samuel Kogane." 

"Wait, _that’s_ \- AH!” Cake tried saying before Liz pulled the tails of his headband to get his attention. Her eyes said 'Talk and you die’, and Cake listened well. 

“You had a mullet?” Kova asked, side-eyeing Kenny. He looked flushed, holding his light brown hair, messy from lack of hair products. 

“Shut up.” Kenny lost the fight, his face turning beet red. He looked down with interlaced fingers over the back of his neck. 

“Kova, that’s enough,” Shiro scolded. While Kova smiled, Kenny looked up. Shiro motioned Kenny forward, which he reluctantly did. There was no way Kenny would know what would happen. 

“Pidge, this is Kenny.” Shiro wrapped an arm around Kenny’s shoulders as he spoke, pushing him forward towards his parents. 

“What are you talking about?” Pidge asked, staring at the man in front of her. “Kenny’s sixteen." 

"That was forever ago,” Kenny said, reaching out towards Pidge. Pidge stepped back, further into Keith’s embrace. Keith and Kenny shared a look, having Kenny back away. 

“Unless your daughter changed her name over the past several years or moved out of state,” Kova interrupted the moment. “There is no record of your daughter ever existing." 

"Can we begin actual plans, then?” Liz asked, her voice harsher than it had been in weeks. 

“Yes!” Cake cheered. “Please!" 

"Return to the med bays, reacquaint yourselves and we’ll let you know when your rooms are ready,” Kova said, closing the GSD, and opening several maps. 

Keith, Pidge, and Hunk didn’t move. Kenny climbed the stairs, stopping at the head when he noticed they weren’t moving. Shiro had climbed the other set of stairs, stopping instead at the foot of the stairs. The trio looked among themselves, before turning to the teens. 

“We should be the ones leading this mission,” Keith stated rather confidently. “You’re kids.” The teens still dressed in Paladin armor, had disbelief on their faces. In a vain attempt to keep the peace, Shiro tried to plead with Keith. Kova spoke before he had the chance. 

“Griffin, pull up maps of our tracker. Smythe, get more information on the disappearance. Garrett, review systems and reconnect the satellite. Sec, is the Coeus ready for battle?” Her commands stirred the others into a team mentality, turning the disbelief into spite. The teens were quick to activate their consoles, with each carrying out their individual tasks. 

“Ballistas are down, particle barrier is on standby,” Caleb reported, trying to reboot the weapons systems. 

“Holt, check if it’s a software issue or a design malfunction.” Kenny nodded, leaving the bridge. 

“You can’t ignore us forever.” Kova had moved her holoscreen to hover directly in front of her so she could type and still look in the same direction. “I’m above you in rank, so do what I said and back down.” Liz, Cake, and Caleb stared at Keith with shock written all over their faces. Kova bristled, stilling her fingers. 

“Listen to me, and listen carefully,” Kova started, descending the staircase Shiro was at earlier. It was to avoid Caleb’s interference, but it wasn’t like they would know that. “I am a top student at the Garrison, about to be the youngest officer in Garrison history, and am currently Paladin of the Black Lion, leader of Voltron.” With every statement, Kova descended the staircase, until she reached the floor. Then, she took careful steps toward Keith and Pidge. “You have been declared MIA and considered deceased for a decade, losing your status and any rank you may have had.” Kova was only inches away from Keith’s face, glaring into his eyes. Kova was only inches shorter than Keith, so the staring contest wasn’t ridiculous. The pair held the other’s gaze long enough for Shiro to intervene. 

“Continue your tasks as ordered,” Shiro told the teens. “You go ahead into the med bay. Kova, in my office.” Kova and Shiro walked away first. As they left the bridge, the teens glared and ignored the trio until they left. Allie flinched as Keith passed by, but nothing more was said. 

“Kovalia, what was that?” Shiro began his reprimand. “You’re the leader of Voltron, a high ranking student, my daughter. You’re supposed to be showing that rank without telling people off!" 

"He questioned my authority!” Kova argued. “Again! This is the second time he has tried to overturn my decisions.”

“So you let _me_ handle him!” Shiro stood to full height. Shiro’s time at the Garrison was starting to show. “Is that so hard to do?”

“YES!” Kova all but shouted. “We’ve avoided using 'Emperor’ and 'Yorak’ in the same sentence, we haven’t tried telling them about current events, and besides Kenny being ten years older than before, I doubt they believe us when we say it’s been _ten_ quiznacking years since anyone has seen them!" 

"Kyla, enough!” Curtis yelled over Kova’s yelling. Both Shiro and Kova stared at the holoscreen on Shiro’s desk with shock on both their faces. 

“How, uh, how long have you been there?” Kova asked, pointing at the holographic picture of Curtis. 

“Long enough.” Curtis crossed his arms, looking annoyed. “Kova, you are dismissed to your room.”

“Yes sir,” Kova muttered, shooting Shiro a look. Kova never made it to her room, as the Coeus violently leaned to its left. Kova ran to the bridge, with another blast propelling her forward to collide with the console. While her ribs might be bruised for a while, it didn’t matter when faced with multiple enemy ships, almost all of them bearing the bright purple V with a little tail. 

“Hand over the half-Galra and no one gets hurt.” An unknown voice spoke before their face appeared on the Coeus’s screen, completely covered from head to hip in dark armor with a wide V with a tail. The large gun in their hands was held to appear more intimidating, but the slight shake of his hands spoke louder than words. With a small hand signal, Caleb and Liz activated the particle barrier and closed off sectors of the ship. It trapped Kenny on one side of the ship with the former Paladins while trapping the current Paladins and Shiro. 

As the particle barrier surrounded the Coeus, the enemy ships fired. Kenny sent a small message to the console, and Kova sent back an agreement. The lights on the entire ship turned off, replaced by low red lights. The steering apparatus for the Coeus appeared at Kova’s console, ready for her influence. Before taking control over steering, Kova sent the message to the other Paladins on their consoles. 

_ ER: 'Ballistas report a design failure. We have to travel via wormhole’ _

_ HC: 'Prepare the ship. I got steering.’ _

The Paladins could only brace themselves, hoping that the Coeus could endure this battle. That’s when Caleb had an idea. Sending a brief message to Kova, he went to the Coeus’s network. Transferring the page to Liz, they both set to work. 

They still had the training bot. 

Activating the large mecha, Caleb and Liz took over its motor functions. Caleb controlled everything above the hips, while Liz had everything below. The transport bay doors opened, and the pair led the bot out. There was a hole in the particle barrier, but it would have to dealt with later. The pair piloted the bot until a well-aimed shot took it offline. 

By the time the mecha died, the Coeus was already gone through the wormhole.


	29. Juvenile Matters: II

With more speed than ever shown before, an armored Paladin raced underneath flashing red lights. Strange hallways rushed past them, with someone yelling over the sound of the Paladin’s breathing. An alcove in the wall provided a space for them to hide. Both robotic and non-robotic soldiers rushed past the alcove, yelling and cursing. If the silver-plated robots were any taller, they would scrape the dark metal grate over its head. 

As the soldiers ran past, the Paladin took a breath, listening for any noises. None came, and they took off in the opposite direction. Their arm piece holoscreen appeared with an x-ray map of the ship. With the glaring red lights, it was near impossible to make out, but a glance was all the Paladin could afford when a four-way hall came up. With no more time to waste, they ran to their right, only to be met with a robotic trio brandishing their handguns. Literal handguns. Freaking robots. The Paladin tried escaping to the tunnel ahead of them, but two soldiers with dark armor illuminated with a wide dark V with a little tail. The hall from the Paladin’s right was also blocked with a robotic trio, with hideous power saws. The Paladin made a motion of exasperation as they held up their hands, balled into fists. 

The soldiers boldly made a move, rushing forward to grab the Paladin. The Paladin had other plans, kicking one of the soldiers into the other soldier so they collided together in a wall closest to the left-emerging robots. Upon close contact with the robots, one of them misfired, with the shot melting a hole through the metal grate. 

Noticing this, the Paladin, stood still in the middle of the floor between the two trios of robots coming from opposite directions. When the bots were a meter away, the Paladin ducked and rolled underneath the center robot’s legs with their shield protecting them. The Paladin ran down the left hall, ignoring the sound of shots firing and the crashing of metal. 

Such an ugly sound. 

Having to hide again in an alcove to catch their breath, the Paladin studied the map again. If they continued down the hall, they could reach one of the explosives bays. Taking off again, the Paladin stealthily made it to the first explosive bay. 

The doors shut behind them as more soldiers appeared in the doorway. The doors shut on them, crushing them into mangles of wires. Thank goodness they were robots. 

Taking a convenient blade leaning on one of the many boxes of explosives, the Paladin drove the blade through the door’s control panel. The blade broke as it was being pulled out but at least it did something useful. With a quick scan around the room, the Paladin noticed another set of metal double doors to their left. A quick electrical shock from an electric spear hanging on the wall did the trick, opening the second set of doors. This continued over and over until the Paladin found its target. 

The Black Lion sat majestically, with tall wings flared behind it. As the Paladin was making its way to the Lion, a series of three shots narrowly missed their head and striking the particle barrier that surrounded the Lion. The Paladin, their armor tinted solid red, lifted their left arm, activating their personal shield, while their right was outstretched behind them. Their bayard appeared in their right hand, and before the soldiers could do anything, the Paladin activated their bayard. The weapon extended outwards, turning into a gun, similar to the ones the soldiers used. 

Two shots to very concerning places, assuming both soldiers were male, later, the Paladin searched their plans again. This was one of the interior bays. Why did this ship have to have _interior_ storage bays? If the answer is food, it clearly wasn’t being used for that. 

The Paladin made their way to the other side of the Black Lion, hoping to find a thin wall they could bust through, or maybe a door they hadn’t seen before. 

There was none. If the Paladin tried to get the Black Lion out, there was a chance the explosives would react and cause more damage than it was worth. It seemed like the Paladin would have to find a way around the explosives. 

The Paladin had circled the Lion so their eyes could glare into the Paladin’s soul. With a single hand pressed against the particle barrier, the barrier deactivated particle by particle until the Lion was completely free. Wasting no time, the Paladin made their way into the cockpit. The Black Lion’s screens activated as the Paladin took a seat, reaching out to grab the controls. More shots were fired, but they only ricocheted from the Lion’s protective armor. One of these firings landed on one of the boxes of explosives, causing the Paladin to brace themselves. 

The explosion was seen from both the Coeus and one of the depots set up by the Fire. Yorak was staring out the window when the huge explosion went off. He immediately turned to Vhix, who seemed just as shocked. On the Coeus, Caleb was anxiously rubbing a pendant around his neck. He wore the ugly ladybug sweater, black pants, and red sneakers. Civilian clothing. Cake and Allie were on standby in their Lions, while Liz, also in civilian clothing, sat in her chair with a finger over her lips and her thumb under her chin. 

“Is she even going to make it out?” Liz asked, turning to look at Caleb. As the explosions rocked the Fire ship, Caleb held his pendant tighter. 

“She’ll be fine.” Caleb readjusted himself in his chair. “She’ll be fine.” He repeated it, almost as though he were trying to reassure himself. 

From the wreck of the ship came a hint of blue. With a roar, the Black Lion emerged intact. The Yellow and Blue Lions left the transport bay, heading out to assist. Before Liz and Caleb could move from their spots, the Black Lion floated firm in between the Coeus and the destroyed ship. 

“Black to Coeus, don’t move,” Kova ordered, causing Shiro to rush in. Her voice had echoed through the ship, with her firmness as evident. Shiro wore a black leather jacket over his white tank-top and black pants and boots. 

“What’s going on?” Shiro asked, eyes to the sky as smaller cruisers appeared at the sight of the wreck. They weren’t attacking the Lions or even made attempts to fire at the Coeus. The cruisers were aiding the wreck. 

“Griffin, take a scan of those smaller ships.” The Black Lion had been joined by the Yellow and Blue Lions between the Coeus and the wreck. Together, they watched as Fire soldiers, dressed in dark armor, vanished into the wreck and emerged with…something. The Paladins couldn’t see what it was, but they could only assume some soldiers had been trapped under the wreckage. They watched until the wreck went dark, and the ships that had arrived to assist turned tail and left, leaving only a brief violet imprint. Together, the Lions returned to the transport bay, with the Black Lion the last to enter. 

Kova, Cake, and Allie returned to their places in the bridge, with helmets at their sides. Kova had balanced hers like a basketball on her hip, while both Allie and Cake held theirs in front of them. 

“We could’ve taken them.” Liz stood up from her chair. Cake and Allie made their way to their seats, placing their helmets on the floor. “Why did you stop us?”

“Replay the footage,” Kova said, staring at the screen. Liz sat down again and did what she was told. The footage replayed, from Kova being dropped on top of the Fire ship, to the explosion of the same ship. “Did you take the scans?”

“Yeah, but it will take some time to create a 3-D model." 

"Alright, in the meantime, we can—”

“ _We_ can take care of this,” Keith announced from behind Kova. You could see the teen physically tense as her face shifted from annoyance to murder to calm with a deep breath. She turned around to face the man standing in the doorway, and they had another staring contest. After a minute, Kova gave Keith a smirk and turned back around. 

“Sounds good,” Kova said. “Alright team. Time for lunch.” Cake cheered, Allie giggled, Caleb smiled, Liz stood and stretched, and Kova stared at Keith over her shoulder. “Have fun, and don’t break anything.” She grabbed her helmet, putting it back on her head. Cake and Allie had done the same, following Kova out of the bridge. Liz walked past Keith, and Caleb patted his shoulder. While Liz and Caleb walked together to the cafeteria, the other three got changed into civilian clothes. 

Keith stared after the teens in disbelief that it actually worked. Shiro had walked up to the man and placed a hand on his shoulder. Keith looked up at Shiro, and Shir gave him a small smile. 

“Get the others. I’ll catch you up.” Shiro strode into the bridge, back down the stairs, and took a seat in front of the large windows. The former Paladins stayed up on the bridge for a while, but it was long enough that when they returned, the teens were telling stories. 

Allie was trying to get her snorting under control, but every time she snorted, she would snort again. Sitting beside her, the boys were having a hard time controlling their own laughter. Liz had placed a comforting hand on Allie’s, biting her lip to keep the laughter in, and Kova and Kenny were silently shaking in different ways. Kova could at least look at Allie, with a fist over her mouth. Kenny had laughed so hard, there was no sound coming from his mouth, so he placed his head on the cool white table. With deep breaths and flailing her arms, Allie began getting her laughter under her control with a huge smile on her face. Cake began to cry a little, and Caleb had turned away from Allie to lean into Cake’s shoulder. 

“Oh man, I kinda want to ask what happened next, but I kinda don’t wanna.” Cake wiped tears from his eyes as he spoke, but Allie already controlled herself. 

“I don’t think you would survive,” Allie said, leaning her head on her raised hand. That’s when she saw the adults in the doorway. “Oh.” She sat up so her back was ramrod straight and the smile disappeared from her face. Kova noticed the change and turned around. Liz peered over her shoulder and stared at the uninvited guests. Cake brightened, then noticed everyone else’s reaction. Kenny was taking deep breaths to regulate his breathing, but Caleb was the only person who had yet to see the guests. Kova slid out of her seat to stand across the adults when Caleb finally came up for air. 

“Oh quiznack, I don’t think I’ve ever laughed that hard since-Hey, why did everyone stop laughing?" 

"Did you have fun?” Kova asked, meeting Keith’s eyes. Keith took in her outfit, a lavender t-shirt, black slacks, and black boots. She wasn’t in her uniform anymore. 

“Yeah, fun." 

"Cool.” Kova walked past them towards the door. “We’re off the clock until dinner.” Shiro and Keith stared after Kova while the other teens relayed the message and cheered. Liz and Allie went to the med bay to restock, Cake and Caleb headed to their rooms, leaving Kenny alone in the cafeteria. He had turned around in his seat, staring at the adults. 

“If you wanna come in, I think Cake made some leftovers.” Kenny pointed at the kitchen area that was just out of sight from the door. The former Paladins crept in after Shiro, who strode in first to fix himself a plate. After they had all sat down, with matching plates in front of them, they looked awkwardly from one to the other. 

“Is this even edible?” Hunk asked, poking the near gelatinous pink blob on his plate. Shiro had begun digging in, using a spoon. The other three went pale at the sight. 

“Yeah, it’s, uh, the, um,” Kenny stumbled for the right word when he looked up at Shiro. “Remember those weird red pears we found?" 

"Yeah, what about them?" 

"They’re shaped like pears, they have seeds like pomegranates, and they taste like mixed berries." 

"No wonder I taste strawberries." 

"I tasted blueberries, and Caleb tasted raspberries. Kova refused to comment." 

"Is. It. Edible?” Hunk asked again. Kenny nodded his head. 

“Yes, now eat your blob.” Tentatively, the three spooned a small piece of their blobs. Their faces morphed from disgust to pleased. Kenny took out his phone after a few minutes of the former Paladins eating. He was scrolling through system reports when Shiro got his attention. 

“Ken, Pidge asked you something.”

“Oh, sorry about that.” He put his phone down. “Can you repeat that?”

“Why are you here with us if Kova gave you until dinner?” Kenny chuckled and lifted his phone to show Pidge the screen. 

“I run the ship’s systems while the team pilots the ship and their Lions,” Kenny said, scrolling through green systems. “I get a break when I sleep. _If_ I sleep.” Speak of the devil, one of the previous green buttons on his screen turned red. Pidge half-expected him to stand up and leave, but he didn’t. He pressed a few buttons, and it was repaired. Hunk, who chose to sit next to Kenny, had been looking over his shoulder. 

The two began talking about the complex code needed, and all the repairs needed to repair such a battleship like the Coeus. Pidge joined in when Kenny mentioned the months he spent on board the ship replacing some of the parts. Keith and Shiro’s eyes glazed over, eating their pear-berry gelatinous blob. 

————————————

Yorak was furious. His study had been turned into a disaster zone, and his bedroom wasn’t much different. The brooding man stood in front of a porthole window wearing identical armor to his soldiers. The dark gray suit seemed to emphasize the darkness in his eyes. Vhix entered the bedroom, stepping over ruined furniture and fabric to stand between Yorak and the door. 

“How many?” Yorak said, his voice low. He hadn’t turned to face Vhix. 

“Three of the cargo bays and eighteen soldiers.” Vhix had crossed his arms behind his back, waiting. Watching. 

“Gone?" 

"Yes.” A beat of silence followed. Like thunder and lightning, loud clangs echoed through the ship. The younger soldiers shook, the older soldiers fought not to flinch. They’ve heard this anger before, and its aftermath was never pretty. The bangs and scrapes of the metal continued until morning. By then, Yorak had exhausted himself. After all, he is still half-human. 

“Are you done?” Vhix asked with a bored expression on his face. 

“Three chambers out of five could not be saved.” Yorak had wound up in a heap on the floor, panting between words. His bodysuit covered his hands, but the way his hands shook when he moved, his fingers told more than necessary. 

“At least we saved two.”

“What are we going to do with two?” Yorak turned up his head to glare at Vhix, who didn’t so much as flinch. 

“Continue doing what we have been doing with the rest of the cargo.” Vhix stepped around Yorak to grab the violet and crimson red cape hanging from a post. With a dramatic flair, Vhix secured the cape to Yorak’s shoulders while Yorak glared daggers at the floor. “Train them, break them, and who knows? Maybe we can take a few and experiment with them." 

"Do we have any leads on the resistance from Daibaazaal?” Yorak asked as he stood, hiding his still shaking hands under his cape. 

“Darrar’s tracker shows him to be in the Poilderan star system." 

"That’s on the other side of the universe." 

"I’m aware. I’ve already sent out a rookie to investigate." 

"Very well." 

"If he happens to find him, which I doubt, what do we tell him?" 

"Tell him to threaten and capture the female leader." 

"Your grandmother.” Yorak released a low chuckle as the door opened. 

“If she were my family, she would have supported me. Not tried destroying me." 

The pair strode into the bridge, where the soldiers and pilots stiffened at the Emperor’s passing. The pure joy that Yorak felt at every flinch and every small whimper was indescribable. Now if only he could have a family, specifically a sister, to share his kingdom with.


	30. Juvenile Matters: III

On the Coeus, dinner came and went. The excited teens sat at their usual table in the kitchen, chatting, and reconnecting. The adults stared in confusion, wondering what the teens could be so excited about. Before the adults could retire to the med bay, Liz and Allie stood up and met the adults at the door. Allie spoke as Liz covered her mouth to keep the gelatinous pink blob in her mouth. Together, the pair led the adults sans Shiro and Kenny to the floor below the main. 

The huge space was dark, smelled of dust, and seemed empty until Liz pulled the light switch. The bright white walls blinded them at first, but the orange stripes, digital keypads, and metal archways came into view as their eyes settled. They kept the power off on the majority of the ship to conserve power, and with more people on board, Keith had graduated to his room. If he wanted. Since they had found his wife. The floor lit up hall by hall until there was nowhere for the shadows to hide. The matching metal archways stood in the mouth of the hallways, with another in between the entries. As Allie led them to the closest hallway, Liz set herself on shutting the hall from the rest of the floor. Pidge and Keith took one room and Hunk took the room across from theirs. With that, Allie turned off the lights in the other rooms and quickly ran to Hunk. The girls helped them take the old sheets from their beds, lift and secure fallen furniture, even advised where to position the beds in case of an attack. Hunk followed the advice, while Keith and Pidge chose not to. 

Whatever. Preferences. 

Hunk asked about meals and how that would work, while Keith asked if relinquishing control was going to be a common thing. Allie explained the digital keypad on the wall and how its neutral position is a clock, while Liz stated the Colonel would inform them of the schedule when it was finalized and cleared with the team. One was sweet and accommodating and the other was the epitome of professionalism. Together, the girls rode up to the main floor and left the adults to settle in. Kenny was the first to find them, ushering them into the bridge. 

He stood on the floor with hands on his hips, meeting each of the smiling paladins’ eyes. He then announced his idea. An idea he has had stewing for several days, and now it’s time to take it off the stove. The reactions were different brands of confusion, but it was confusion nonetheless. 

“What?” Kova asked, hoping Kenny would clarify. 

“Reform the Galactic Coalition,” Kenny repeated. “We don’t have any info on Yorak, the model of that ship is still rendering, and there is nothing else to do.” Kova gave a little pout, probably wondering why she didn’t think of that. Caleb raised his hands in a ‘Are you serious?’ gesture, dropping to them to rest on his console desk. 

“Reform it?” Caleb asked. “How, exactly?”

“Well, we could probably—”

“Along with that, we’re kids!” Caleb had clapped his hands together, grabbing Kova’s attention. “What do we know about inter-space politics?" 

"Um,” Allie turned her chair so she could look up at Caleb. “Are you serious?” Her soft voice traveled to the other members who stared at Caleb. 

“I don’t know. Kova?” Liz looked from Caleb to Kova, who stared at her brother. 

“Unfortunately, he is." 

"What?" 

”'What do we know about interspace politics?’“ Kova muttered to herself, putting her head down. Caleb looked from Kova to Kenny, hoping to get some sort of explanation. Kenny shrugged his shoulders. 

"Kova, what?” She looked up with bored eyes and pushed herself up. 

“Allura has studied under the ruler, the diplomat, and the medical staff of Altea since she could write. Cake has apprenticed under and learned the customs of different chefs, bakers, and staff that have worked for his father since he could walk.” The pair in question stared at Caleb pointedly as Kova spoke. “Not to mention, your sister has been interacting with diplomats since she was born.” Her arms had changed from being leaned for support to supporting her head with a fist while her other hand counted out the experienced members of the new Team Voltron. 

“I get it!” Caleb held up a hand in surrender, hoping Kova would stop. She did not. 

“If that wasn’t enough, Dad also had to play diplomat for several years before, during, and after the Great War for the universe. Oh, and he helped /create/ the Galactic Coalition in the first place.” The bridge fell silent, waiting for Caleb’s response. 

“So we should be blaming Dad for this?" 

"He got the point,” Kova announced, standing up. The other members turned their chairs and heads forward to Kenny and the now activated screen behind him. “What are we thinking, Ken?”

“I’m thinking Daibaazaal since they’re Galra. Not to mention they’re probably battle-ready." 

"We already have Daibaazaal support,” Kova said much too quickly. “Who’s next?" 

"Oh, uh,” Kenny tripped over his words. “Altea, then." 

"They’re behind us,” Allie said, typing on her screen. A long-distance chat box appeared on the larger screen, with the sender labeled 'Blue’ and the recipient 'Romelle’. The exchange proved what Allie had said, with Romelle promising troops if Voltron could prove its existence. 

“I don’t have proof, but I can guarantee it,” Kova said, grabbing Kenny’s attention. On the tablet he had stolen from the Colonel, he drew a large T-chart. On the left, he wrote 'With’ and on the right, 'Without’. In the left column, he wrote Earth, Daibaazaal, and Altea and moved down the list of planets and star systems. Allie removed her chatbox and listened intently. 

“Is Naxzela still under Galra rule?" 

"I wouldn’t count on it." 

"Puig?”

“Has their top layer reformed?” Cake asked, earning him a stare or two from the other paladins. “When they joined the Coalition, their acidic planet was shedding its crust. Did their crust reform or are they still living on their moon?" 

"Liz, put that on our itinerary." 

"We don’t have one, but I’ll start one.” Liz began typing away as they continued down the list. Kenny had placed a question mark beside Daibaazaal, but no other planets were added to the list. The three planets remained. The teens searched through maps until they ran out of resources. By then, it was time to sleep. One by one, the teens wished each other good night and retreated to their rooms. Kova stayed up, staring at the large map.

There was nothing to warn her about the hand that came to rest on her shoulder. It was much smaller than Shiro’s or Caleb’s. The former Paladins should’ve already gone to bed by the time the teens finished up on the bridge. 

Kova felt as though her reaction was justified. 

Taking the stranger’s wrist in her hand, Kova spun around and hooked her right leg around the stranger’s left, knocking them off balance while striking them in the face. As the intruder fell on the floor, Kova quickly pulled her knife and held it against the intruder’s throat. 

“What did you expect?” Kova muttered, more annoyed than angry. Krolia lay still underneath her, looking at the knife in Kova’s hand. The blade hadn’t elongated, but the purple symbol on its hilt wasn’t hidden in any way. 

“I thought I would have more of a 'Thank you’,” Krolia said, now meeting Kova’s eyes. “Especially from my granddaughter.” Kova scoffed, pulled Krolia off the ground a few inches before shoving back to the ground. Kova stood up in the process, sheathing her blade. 

“Leave.” Kova turned to face her console, shutting the screen. The lights remained dimmed, but Krolia only stood from her place on the floor. Kova could feel Krolia’s eyes stare into the back of her head, hoping she’d turn around. 

“Let me explain myself first.” Another scoff from Kova. To her, what was there to explain? She already knew. Kova mumbled something under her breath. Krolia stepped forward, hoping to hear Kova repeat it. Instead, Kova turned her head so fast, her braid flew onto her left shoulder. Kova’s bright eyes met Krolia’s purple and yellow ones. 

“'Too young for a battlefield.’” Kova watched as Krolia’s eyes widened. She remembered. “I never blamed you. You were fighting the beginnings of war and I was too young for a battlefield." 

"Kyla,” Krolia said, stepping forward. She stopped, looking angry with herself. “Kova." 

"Kova, what’s going on?” Caleb said, half-asleep. He was rubbing his eyes. When he saw Krolia, he rushed and tackled her to the ground, much to Krolia’s surprise. “Get Dad!" 

"Caleb, it’s fine.” Kova crossed her arms, staring at the teen on top of Krolia’s back and holding her arms. 

“How did she even get on the ship?” Caleb asked, not taking his eyes off Krolia. “Dad!” He shouted, noticing Kova’s lack of movement. 

“What happened? What’s wrong?” Shiro yelled, rushing into the bridge, activating the lights. Kova had stepped back, leaning on the railing. Caleb was pinning Krolia down, and Krolia was wiggling, trying to gain an upper hand on Caleb. Wait, Krolia?

“Hello, Colonel.” Krolia greeted. “I’d shake your hand, but I’m preoccupied at the moment." 

"Kova." 

"I’ll explain in a minute.” Shiro sighed, marching over to drag Caleb off the Galra. Krolia stood, stretching her arms as Caleb got seated on the floor several feet away. 

“Krolia, what are you doing here?” Shiro asked, looking between Krolia and Kova. 

“Just came to deliver an update on the Galtean colonies,” Krolia said, handing a holoscreen to Kova. Kova took the screen without hesitation, looking through the information. “I also came to check-up on my granddaughter and her adventures." 

"How did you even know we were here?”

“This is, what?” Kova looked up to look at Krolia. “The third time you snuck onto the ship?" 

"Give or take." 

"Third?” Shiro looked incredulous, angry, and confused. Poor thing. 

“The first time was back on Senfama when Darrar went missing and the power went out.” Kova looked between Shiro and Caleb, who had finally stood up from his quiet fit. “She broke Darrar out and cut the wires, which you still owe me for. Electrical tape isn’t going to last forever." 

"I know, Kovalia.” Krolia raised an eyebrow at the teen and met Shiro’s gaze. “Darrar was the highest-ranking spy in Yorak’s circle, so when he was given command of Seklok’s ship, he came straight to you." 

Shiro didn’t say anything, processing the information. It would make sense to have spies within the Fire. At the first opportunity, Darrar tried reaching out to be met with adversity from the team. 

"When was the second time?” Caleb asked, staring at Kova. 

“The night before the mission to retrieve the Black Lion." 

"What.” Poor dear deadpanned. 

“It was the only way I got as far as I did.” Kova looked up again, putting the holoscreen in her hoodie pocket. “Krolia gave me a couple of keywords and phrases that the spies used to communicate with each other. They could’ve warned me about the bots with handguns, though.”

“They’re a new creation, only used on cargo ships,” Krolia explained, hands on her hip. “Besides, I heard you handled yourself well." 

"What are the cargo ships carrying? Do you know?” Shiro asked, to a shake of Krolia’s head. 

“No one can get a close enough look of the prisoners to see.”

“Prisoners?" 

"Yes, from the Galtean colonies.” Both Krolia and Shiro turned to Kova, who shrugged. 

“There’s coordinate points and a still-active tracker.” With a heavy sigh, Shiro’s shoulders sagged. Even if he wasn’t carrying an under-trained team, he was still supervising a new Voltron team. With a giant courseload attached. Fun. 

“We’ll take a look at that in the morning,” Shiro said, turning from Kova to Caleb. “Have Griffin check on the status of the ship from the cargo shipwreck.” Caleb nodded as Shiro turned from Caleb to Krolia. “I’d offer you a bed, but I imagine you have somewhere to be." 

"Yorak has been trying to trap Kolivan and me for years, and the only we’ve managed is by moving around.” Krolia bent down to pick up her helmet, which had rolled away in the chaos from earlier. “Kovalia, I hope that one day we can sit down and talk." 

"One day,” Kova replied, watching as Krolia walked out. The Shiroganes stayed silent for a few minutes. Shiro walked out first, heading to bed. The teens couldn’t blame him. They were tired just thinking about tomorrow. Caleb and Kova walked each other to their rooms, staying side-by-side until they arrived. 

“Hey, Kova?” Caleb said, his voice almost a whisper. 

“Yeah?” came Kova’s reply. 

“Do you believe her?” The silence filled the space for a moment. “About sitting down and talking?" 

"Yeah.” Kova turned to look at Caleb, or at least, the general direction of where Caleb could be. “She tried, but she put the universe over her family. We’d do the same.” In the dark, Caleb nodded his head, opening his door. 

“Goodnight Ky.” The door closed him, leaving Kova alone in the darkness and quiet. She padded into her room, shutting the door behind her. 

Instead of being a sane person and sleeping, Kova sat on her bed after putting on her pajamas. The holoscreen Krolia had given her rested on a low nightstand next to the door, her hoodie rested on the back of a chair, and the only light in the room came from the steaming bathroom across from Kova’s bed. Pulling out the matching tablet to the one Shiro was given, Kova pulled up her folder. 'KHKH’ the folder was labeled, and it was anyone’s guess what it could’ve meant. 

To Kova, it was her entire life in a digital folder. 

Opening the folder with a heavy sigh, Kova watched the tablet load its contents. Several documents, pictures, and two video files appeared. Kova had the documents almost memorized. They were grade checks, performance reviews, and scans of paper essays she wrote before thirteen years old. The performance reviews were stunning, while the grade checks belonged to the laziest student. The teachers used to fail her without checking her work. With a rueful smile, Kova read through the extensive notes one particular teacher left. Mrs. Donovan had taught not one, not two, but three Koganes in her class over her tenure at the Garrison. She held a distaste of Keith, vaguely remembering the way he would turn to look at the window and fight with her prized student. After his success, she tried to turn a new leaf with TJ, but when he also dropped out of the Garrison, it was clear: A Kogane never succeeds. 

Mrs. Donovan taught basic arithmetic to junior cadets, so when Kyla Kogane appeared in her classroom next to her eventual prized student of the year, she took it upon herself to show everyone the girl didn’t belong anywhere. How was she supposed to know that she was well-protected under Captain Shirogane and Ambassador McClain? 

Kova laughed as she remembered the shocked face of Mrs. Donovan when Aunt Veronica demanded to know why she, with classwork worthy of an A, was sitting in a classroom by herself while the rest of her class took the preliminary flying test every student was required to take. Kova and Caleb were quickly switched out and at the end of the year, Mrs. Donovan retired. Whether she already planned it or Aunt Veronica sped it up, no one but Aunt Veronica and Mrs. Donovan knew. 

The pictures in her file were of little Kova in various outfits for official Garrison functions. 

One was a still of Caleb and Kova on a hoverbike they stole. It was days, maybe a week before they were about to enter the Garrison as senior cadets. Kova drove the hoverbike, bringing it to a still while Caleb hung onto her waist for dear life. It was just before they stopped, sand and dust flying forward and around them. Caleb held up an arm to block the sand from getting in Kova’s eyes, while she focused on stopping. The still could’ve been a portrait and Kova wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference. There were others, with the teens wearing either their cadet uniforms or matching black and white clothes. 

One of the latter photographs held Caleb with his arms around Kova’s shoulders, wearing a black button-up under a white dress coat. Kova wore something similar, a black dress with a short white coat. Her hair had been styled in a high ponytail with a purple ribbon tied in a pretty bow. Caleb, Pops, and Dad wore purple handkerchiefs in their breast pockets, but you wouldn’t be able to tell from looking at the picture. They both looked at the camera with shining eyes and big smiles. That was the night Dad got promoted to Colonel and officially took the role of Headmaster of the Garrison. 

As Kova sunk lower into her bed, losing her battle with sleep, she stared at the video files. She never pressed on them, never opened them. Not that night. One was labeled 'Kyla’s Life’, and she had yet to see it. It was password-protected, so she couldn’t even if she wanted to. The other, she had sworn she’d never watch again. She slept with the happy memories dancing in her mind, keeping her thoughts away from the other video file and its title.

 _Not again_ , she promised. _Never again_


	31. Zealous Approach: I

Hopeful news came for the crew of the Coeus. On the same day and minutes apart from each other, messages appeared on the Coeus’s main screen. The 3-D model of the smaller ships in the cargo ship disaster had finished rendering. Altea had sent files on the missing half-Galra that had been implemented into the Galactic Coalition. Daibaazaal sent its support in the form of a video message where Krolia spoke with Kolivan standing behind her. Arus, Cake’s birth Balmera, and Puig similarly sent their support, with planetary updates when necessary. Puig’s crust was reforming, and it would only be a few phoebs before they could return to rebuild their lives. Great for them. The information Krolia had given Kova checked out, and the coordinate points were successfully uploaded onto the Coeus’s map. 

When the onslaught of messages ceased, the teens had a chance to review it all. The former Paladins ate the leftover pink blobs while the teens stared at their consoles. Allie was in charge of reviewing the files from Altea, searching for inconsistencies. Cake was set to writing thank you messages to the other planets. Caleb sent messages to Curtis, updating him on everything. Liz pulled up the models and looked them over. Kova stood above it all, pulling up the large screen at the front of the Coeus. 

“Who’s first?” Shiro asked as he walked into the bridge. As he descended the stairs, Liz was quick to upload her screen onto the larger one. 

The 3-D models of the ships could carry a max of twenty people before it would become too heavy to land or take off. These ships were designed to keep whatever was in the back as far away from the drivers as possible. The only way into the back was through a door in its side. Reviewing the footage, there were five of these ships, but they weren’t enough to fill them at capacity. Only a few forty combined, from a hundred at max. 

Kova had an odd look on her face as Liz explained her findings to Shiro and the rest of the team. Kova pulled up the dim pictures of Yorak’s ship, then of the cargo ship. The cargo bays were on a different level of the cargo ship, with six chambers. One, if Kova recalled, was used as a temporary hospital for the prisoners. 

“Wait, prisoners?” Liz asked, staring at Kova. The others looked equally confused, while Caleb sat with eyes wide. 

“That’s the cargo.” Kova stared ahead, eyebrows furrowed. “Galtean prisoners.” Caleb relaxed, returning to his work. 

“Half-breed trafficking.” Liz turned around in her chair. “Who would’ve guessed?” Allie raised her hand before Kova could ask. Liz pulled down the screens, returning them to her console as Allie pulled hers up. 

Over the years, Galtean soldiers were assigned under the command of another Galtean soldier named Ralan. The Shiroganes perked up when hearing the name. Ralan was the second Emperor of the Fire when the resurgence occurred. The odd thing Allie had encountered was every soldier in Ralan’s platoon was declared MIA every couple of decaphoebs, after several phoebs under Ralan’s command. What made it worse was Ralan was supposed to oversee surveillance of the Galtean colonies. Allie went down the list, bright red text next to every picture of the missing Galteans declaring them as such. Ralan’s reported MIA was dated only a day before the last known transmission of the Galtean colonies. 

Cake wanted clarification, and Allie provided. The video transmissions of the Galtean colonies were time-stamped, and Allie received those dates. The last video transmission of the Galtean colonies was the day after Ralan went MIA. Cake nodded his head, staring at the young man. He wore a cocky smile, dark violet hair combed back with only a slight curl lay astray. The black chain earring hugged his stone-gray ear, ending with a dark crystal. Ralan was an only child, a common thing among the half-breed children, and his parents were members of the Alpha and Gamma colonies. That is, a repairer, and a stay-at-home parent. Except, Ralan was born before the colonies were completed and the first choice to oversee their surveillance. 

“Whose first choice, exactly?” Caleb asked, staring at Ralan’s punchable face. Allie’s face soured, staring at the smirking man. 

“The Emperor’s,” Allie muttered. “He had never seen such a talented, strong, or handsome individual in his life. Except for himself, of course.” It was probably the first time Shiro had seen the girl roll her eyes. Kova chuckled, staring at the main screen. Shiro noticed, and smiled. 

“Who’s next?” Kova called. Allie pulled her screens down as Caleb projected his. 

“Pops wants to set up a meeting with the Garrison council,” Caleb read the message. Kova’s eyes hardened at the sight, while Shiro raised his eyebrows. 

“Not until we return to Earth.”

“That’s what I told him, but he wants an exact date.” Both Kova and Shiro stopped in their tracks, reading the last message to confirm. Kova made silent and confused hand gestures at the screen while Shiro sighed tiredly. Kova mouth ‘What the quiznack?’ while Shiro rubbed his forehead with his human hand. 

“What exact date?” Kova asked to no one. She was so confused. “He knows we’re in space. With no clear agenda. And Voltron." 

"On top of the family drama you got going on." 

"Thanks, Caleb.”

“No problem.”

“Enough, you two.” Shiro brought his human hand to his mouth, letting his robotic arm float to Caleb’s screen. Allie stared, following the arm as it floated past. The fingers began to type into the message box. The teens looked away as Shiro typed the crude message, then to their horror, sent it. Does he know he’s already on 'no hugs’? What’s next? 'No husband’? 'No kids’? 'Cleaning Peaches’ litter box without his robotic arm’? When Shiro’s arm returned to his side, Caleb shut the message box as fast as he could. He wasn’t sticking around for that trainwreck. May Allura and the stars be with both of his fathers. 

He pulled his screen down as Kenny’s face appeared in a small box on the screen. Kenny held a scaultrite lense in his off-hand while he used his right to push his glasses back up his nose. 

“What’s up, Ken?” Kova asked, watching the tiny drone activate itself and fly upwards to show the team in full. Kenny indignantly held up the scaultrite lense, eyes wide and chin forward. “Use your words, Kenneth." 

"This is the last scaultrite lense we have.” The team stopped dead in their tracks. They stared at Kenny. How did they run out of lenses so fast? “With all the jumping we’ve done, some of the older lenses started breaking. This,” Kenny held the lense up again. “Is the last scaultrite lense we have." 

"We had thirty-six." 

"I know.” Kenny sighed, using his empty hand to brush his bangs back. “I counted, then recounted, and triple counted the lenses in our teleduv. We have seventy-two lenses in our teleduv, double what we bought.” Kova groaned, lowering her head. Liz opened up the ongoing itinerary, typing 'scaultrite lenses’ in the next space. Other items on this list included 'Public appearances’, 'food’, and 'Schedule’. At least two of those other items could be solved with one trip. 

“Dad,” Kova said, looking up. Shiro turned to face her on her podium. She looked so dejected. “We have to go back to the space mall." 

"I know, Kova.” Shiro looked up at Kova, sighing along with her. “Liz, set a course for the space mall. Ken, can the lenses hold together long enough for the trip?" 

"Colonel, I never said the lenses needed replacing.” Kenny put the lens down somewhere off-screen, coming back empty-handed. “I said we had one left. If any of the other lenses broke, we’d only be able to replace one." 

"What are the chances they break?" 

"It wouldn’t be for a couple of trips, but it would be safer to have more." 

"Alright then.” Shiro turned towards the nearest of the two staircases, heading towards the door. “I’ll let the others know. No one is getting kidnapped again.” As the door closed behind Shiro, the others looked up at Kova, who was busily typing away at her screen. 

“What are you doing?” Caleb finally asked after they stared at her for a few minutes. 

“Reaching out to someone who can help." 

——————————

Among the cheery and tired mall visitors, two stood out from the crowd. One, in a dark hoodie and pants, pushed through the visitors in a vain to outrun Varkon the mall cop only meters behind him. The dark clothed individual glanced over his shoulder and ran. 

"H-Hey! Stop right there!” Varkon yelled, speeding towards him on his scooter. The guy ran into an alley to hide from Varkon, catching his breath. As Varkon sped past, still yelling at someone to stop, the dark hooded guy smirked and was turning away. 

They tried at least. 

With a groan, their back met the wall with a harsh thud. An arm had slid in place over his throat and put pressure, causing the hooded guy to cough. As he coughed, the arm disappeared and the hooded guy collapsed on the floor. With a harsh tug, the hoodie was pulled off the guy’s head. As the hooded guy held his throat, he glared up at the people responsible. 

“If it ain’t the Jax,” the Galtean said. “Pleasure to be of service." 

"Uh, Kova?” Caleb asked, crossing his arms. “Who’s this guy?” Kova stood above the Galtean, with Caleb to her left. Allie and Liz were behind Kova and Caleb, all dressed in their Paladin armor. 

“The best mole in the universe.” The Galtean tried to laugh, coughing instead. Violently. Allie’s eyebrows furrowed in concern as Kova and Caleb looked on in mild boredom and daring him to make a move. 

“May I?” Allie whispered, getting a nod from Kova. She lowered herself to the ground, crouching in front of the injured Galtean. He couldn’t have been more than their age, but he bore a long scar on the left side of his face, from his scalp to his chin. With gray coily hair and a menacing dark scowl, the Galtean glared at Allie as she stared too long at his scar. 

“Who the quiznack are you?” He said harshly, causing Allie to tense. “What you looking at?" 

"N-nothing!” She exclaimed. The Galtean looked up to meet Kova’s glare, and moved his legs forward so he leaned against the wall he was thrown against. 

“What do you want, Jax?" 

"What do you think?" 

"Info.” The Galtean looked from Kova to Allie, who was still staring at him. “Is she broken or something?” His sclerae were yellow, with gray irises. Very dark blue Altean markings almost faded into his dark skin, cutting through the marking entirely on his left cheek. 

“You got a problem?”

“It’s the purebred Altean for me, y'know?” The Galtean shrugged, stretching his legs out and crossing them while his arms were crossed over his dark hoodie. 

“Allie, can you pull up the Galtean registry?” Kova asked, not taking her eyes off the Galtean teen. Allie complied, with Liz looking over her shoulder. “Look up Mollas." 

"You’re supposed to be dead.” Allie looked up with a start, blurting out the words before they could be stopped. She looked outraged, confused, and angry. So many emotions for such a tiny person. 

“Kova.” Caleb stared at Kova’s head. Mollas sighed, figuring it was better than nothing. 

“Yeah, I’m supposed to be dead.” Mollas began. Riveting. “You wanna know how I got this, purebred? That maniac of a leader did this to me.” Kova’s eyes seemed to harden as he continued. Yorak was insane. “Y'know, that idiot doesn’t care if we lived or died in those 'training camps’. He just wanted us to follow every command." 

"How did you—" 

"Ha! I’ll tell you, princess!” Allied stiffened at the nickname but said nothing. “I believed it! I believed him! I seriously thought that the Fire was going to provide what I never had! But when the maniac did this,” Mollas pointed at the scar. “I left. Stole the nearest escape pod and flew as far away from there as possible.”

“That’s good, right?” Liz said, getting a scoff from Mollas. 

“Y'know, Jax has it made. Human parents, human siblings, and home on Earth. Other half-Galras don’t have siblings, much less parents or a home.” Liz and Allie stared at him in shock. Kova and Caleb had those matching unreadable expressions on their face. “Ever since that idiot came into power, every half-Galra was treated like our parents were after the war. Like we were all guilty of crimes we didn’t commit." 

"It’s like that throughout the entire galaxy.” Kova finally spoke, shifting her weight onto one leg. “Half-Galra are scary, not because of our skills, but because of our parents." 

"Especially if you’re second gen.” Mollas stared at Kova, who frowned. “The Emperor was some hot-shot second gen on Earth before something happened and he ran away." 

"We already knew that, Mole." 

"Yeah, whatever." 

"How much do you want to go back under?" 

"You couldn’t afford me.” Mollas and Kova glared at each other. Allie stood, stepping behind Kova. Liz stood in Allie’s place with her bayard ready in case the two decided to fight right then and there. 

“I heard the Blade of Marmora is recruiting,” Kova said, at last, a hand on her hip. Mollas seemed to perk up. “I’m sure they’ll have a division set up for the colonies’ surveillance after they’re found." 

"Can you get me in?" 

"Mole, I can get you to the final stage.” Mollas stood up at Kova’s words, scaring the Altean behind Kova. “What d'you say? Deal?” Kova held out her hand. Mollas looked from Kova’s eyes to her outstretched hand. 

“Y'know, I always liked you, Jax,” Mollas said before taking Kova’s hand. “You got yourself a deal.” As Mollas turned to walk away, Kova slapped the back of his neck. He didn’t say anything, frozen in his tracks. 

“Precautions, y'know?” Kova said, and Mollas turned around to give her a nod and a smile. He strode to the opposite end of the alley, lifting his hood over his head, and disappeared into the crowd of people. 

“That was rude, Kova,” Caleb said flatly. 

“Says you,” Kova responded, walking to the closest end of the alley to look for the food court. 

“It was, though?” Caleb said after her. Liz and Allie relaxed, following their pilots. 

The pair were still bickering with each other as they approached the table Cake, Kenny, and Shiro was sitting at. They took their seats around the table while ignoring the lingering eyes on them. Whether the eyes were annoyed or amazed, the pair didn’t care. Their argument was more important, even if it had been reduced to 'Yuh-huh’ and 'Nuh-uh’. Cake was still handcuffed to Kenny, looking from the arguing pilots to the yelling coming from the kitchen. So far, someone had been called an idiot sandwich, and Sal was demanding to know who microwaved the fish and chips. 

At least Cake now knew what to avoid. 

“What are you two arguing about?” Shiro asked tiredly. He had leaned his head on his human fist while using his robotic arm to create a barrier between the bickering (and childish) teens. 

“Kova slapped the informant." 

"You’re exaggerating.”

“Griffin can back me up. Griffin!” Liz looked on with wide eyes as she drank from a large cup. Allie had a similarly large cup in her small hands, looking over the rim. 

“I put a tracker on him!” Kova argued. Before either Caleb or Shiro could respond, an Altean woman approached the table. 

“Um, excuse me. Are you paladins of Voltron?" 

"Yes.” Kova and Caleb said at the same time, returning to glare at each other. Liz put down her large cup and kicked Caleb in the shin from under the table. Kova stared at Allie, but she continued taking small sips from her cup. 

As Caleb felt betrayed, a little boy approached Kova. The young boy had pale skin, sandy hair, and big jade green eyes. His little pointed ears and small lavender markings caught Allie’s attention. 

“Hi.” He said shyly, tucking his chin into his oversized sweater. 

“Hi.” Kova, turning in her seat so her back was to Allie. “My name is Kova. What’s yours?” The little boy gave a small smile. 

“My name is Vatos.” The little boy’s pale cheeks turned red as he met Kova’s eyes. “You’re pretty." 

"Thank you, Vatos.” Kova smiled widely. “What do you want to be when you grow up?" 

"I wanna be a paladin,” Vatos said, grinning. “Just like you.” Before Kova could ask what color, the entire building shook under their feet.


	32. Zealous Approach: II

Dark gray ships sailed over the third floor of the space mall, blasting the fountain into rubble. The shaking was from a wayward blast to one of the support pillars above the food court. With a quick glare from Kova, Shiro had deactivated the bracelets on Cake and Kenny. Shiro and Cake climbed and jumped over the high seat around their table. Kova and Caleb ran to the source of the shaking, seeing the massive battleship sail overhead while firing. 

At the top of their lungs, they shouted at the mall visitors to take refuge in the stores and bathrooms. Allie and Liz managed to herd the food court visitors to the kitchen. Sal protested. Liz used a little used line. 

“As the Paladin of the Green Lion, I’m ordering you to take in these people.” Sal’s eyes went wide, finally seeing the giant V on Liz’s chest plate. He nodded his head, stepping aside from the door to allow entry to the herded visitors. 

By the time Liz joined the fight, Kova and Caleb were in a shooting match with another pair. Kova blocked the heavier blasts from Caleb, who was on bent knee and holding his gun. Allie had managed to make it to the third floor, firing a quintessence arrow at someone. A groan was heard and Liz ran. The soldier wore Fire armor, laying on the ground and holding their head. Liz had summoned her weapon, whacking the soldier until they convulsed. Liz stared at the end of her staff, noticed that it had electricity coming from it. 

Cool. 

On the other side of the mall, Cake rushed to the Coeus, trying to avoid the random blasts from the battleship overhead. Another blast struck a support beam above his head, sending debris to the floor below. Cake had just missed it. 

“Super random question.” Cake said, panting for breath. The other four Paladins listened, ready to strike or already firing on Fire soldiers. “What if the blasts aren’t random?" 

All at once, the Paladins’ eyes widened. 

"They’re trying to collapse the space mall.” Kova looked up at the remaining support pillars that lined the third and second floors. Those were the ones receiving the most damage, as they were the closest to the battleship. 

“I’ll try to get to my Lion, but I think we have to work on summoning them.” Cake said breathlessly again, ducking to avoid another blast. 

“I need to get to high ground,” Caleb said, side-eyeing Kova. She nodded in response, stepping in front of Caleb. He stood and ran towards Allie’s location, using his jetpacks. Kova began to retreat further into the food court as more blasts came from the upturned dust created from the rubble. More soldiers appeared, gaining ground. Kova looked on, shield still activated while she figured out something. She couldn’t go into the bathrooms because there were civilians in there. She couldn’t fight them in the food court stations because there were civilians there. 

Time to die, I guess. 

In a bold move, Kova stopped her retreat, fighting against the force pushing her back. The soldiers didn’t stop, pushing forward. In a heartbeat, Kova lowered her shield and ran at the soldiers. Her bayard appeared in her hand, activating itself as she ran. It had turned into a pole, and in using her momentum, Kova had vaulted over the soldiers and quickly fired at their heads with the gun her bayard changed into.

With a sound that would make a bass drum proud, the three soldiers that had been pushing Kova back were down the ground.

On the second-floor, Caleb could see the fountain that used to sit in the middle of the mall. Beyond that, he could see the Coeus. 

“Sound-off,” Kova ordered, her voice hard. 

“Sec here.” Caleb had used an overturned table to stabilize his sniper rifle. 

“Griffin here.” Liz had beat another two Fire soldiers until they were down, making her way to the Coeus. 

“Yellow here.” Cake had made it, taking off. The Lion sailed under the battleship, trying to find the civilians and where they had hidden. 

“Smythe here.” Allie had been running across the third-floor, shooting quintessence arrows at Fire soldiers who had been deployed. It was getting harder to hide as the dust settled. 

Wait, the dust is settling. 

“They stopped firing!” Allie shouted.

“More troops are being deployed!” Cake announced immediately after. From Cake’s point of view, another ten soldiers jumped from the battleship to the mall below. Right where Liz was passing through. “Griffin, watch out!”

“I saw it!” Liz ran faster, sliding into a hallway. The team of Fire soldiers split up, with five of them going after Liz. When they slid into the hallway after her, she was gone and the hallway was a dead end. All Cake could see was a flash of green light and Liz coming out of the hallway. “Can I get a lift?” She said, looking at Yellow. Yellow lowered itself to the ground, with Liz flying up on her jetpacks to catch Yellow’s paw. 

“By order of Emperor Yorak, I order you to surrender!” A disembodied voice announced. It must’ve been on a loop because it repeated it. Kova almost wanted to demand who this person thought they were. 

Kova had ducked into a different hall, catching her breath. While muttering about her little lungs choosing the worst times to malfunction, another heavy blast shot more dust and debris into the air. That wasn’t helping. In a moment of desperation, she looked up to the small sliver of stars to her right, pleading for their assistance. As she closed her eyes, focusing on regulating her breathing, it came. A distant roar in the back of her head. 

Caleb hadn’t been doing very well. He was starting to regret not taking Uncle Lance’s lessons. He had climbed onto the third floor, looking out for Kova. He could see Allie, Liz had hitched a ride on Yellow, and Cake was piloting Yellow. He saw her black and white armor dart into a hall, and he was about to join her. 

Another blast from the battleship above had struck the mouth of the hallway where Kova had hidden in. To say Caleb lost it was an understatement. He saw red. 

“Allie, shoot him in the head!” Kova ordered from the Black Lion. Allie, following through with the command before it fully registered, called out to Caleb too late. The quintessence arrow dinged into the side of Caleb’s head, knocking him out. “Grab him and let’s go!” Kova shouted again, and Allie had to drag Caleb to the Black Lion. The Black Lion floated underneath the third floor, with Allie and Caleb hitching a ride on its head. Somehow, while dragging Caleb along, she managed to enter the space inside the Black Lion, joining Kova in the cockpit. 

“What. Is. Happening?” Allie asked with every step, staring out the windows and purple screens. Kova was breathing heavily, barely heard from under the blasts. 

“I’m dropping you at the Coeus. Get to your Lions.” Kova stared ahead, maneuvering around the collapsing pillars and violent blasts. 

“Caleb is still unconscious!" 

"Do you want _Keith_ piloting the Red Lion?" 

"Allie, _please_ say no,” Cake pleaded. “We have enough half-breeds as it is.”

“Why did you say my name like it’s a bad thing?” Keith asked, now connected to the Coeus’s drive. Allie watched Kova mouth a response, saying nothing in return. The Black Lion hovered over the Coeus when a blast struck the Coeus, missing the Black Lion entirely. 

“Allura, now!” Kova all but yelled, leaving the girl to launch herself out of the Lion. Caleb was learned against an inner wall. Kova piloted the Black Lion to a safe location, underneath the swap moon, hopefully keeping it safe from harm’s way. She had crouched to be face-to-face with Caleb, who was making groaning sounds as Kova moved his head. Taking off his helmet, Kova did something you should never do to an injured person. 

If you thought ‘slap them’, you would be correct. 

“Wake up or I’m telling Pops about what actually happened to the rabbit,” Kova said after slapping Caleb. The other Paladins winced as the slap echoed in their ears. It made Allie wish there were healing pods on the Coeus. She should really talk to Romelle about that. “I’ll tell Dad about the bottles.” Nothing yet, but he was starting to move his eyes. “Cyrus.”

“Cyrus,” Caleb muttered weakly, gingerly touching the side of his head. “Please don’t tell Pops about the rabbit.” Kova nodded and helped Caleb stand. 

“You okay there, Cap?” Liz asked, sailing around the battleship, narrowly avoiding the blasts directed her way, 

“I’ll live. Where’s my Lion?" 

"With Cake. He dragged it out before the particle barrier got activated.”

“Perfect." 

"Green, what are we looking at?” Kova asked, returning to her seat. Caleb hung on, trying not to fall as the Black Lion maneuvered around smaller ships blasting at them. 

“Uh, you might want to look at it yourself,” Liz said, sending a blueprint to the pilots and the Coeus. 

What they had thought was a massive battleship was built to look like a giant cockroach, with an outer shell made of want layered steel. The base, where the bigger random blasts were coming from, was where the giant metallic bug stood. Every automated footstep it took, another blast was fired, and it took many steps. The smaller ships were being deployed from somewhere underneath the roach. 

“Get ready to jump,” Kova said to Caleb, who stumbled his way to the drop hole. As the doors opened, Caleb replaced his helmet and held his breath as he jumped. Caleb landed on Red’s head, watching as the Black Lion sailed by with two smaller ships on its tail. 

“Sound-off!” Kova yelled, narrowly missing a stray meteor. 

“Red here!" 

"Green here!" 

"Yellow here!" 

"Blue here!" 

"Alright team, converge in front of the bug!” The Lions, stopping their onslaught against the smaller ships, followed orders and flew to the front of the cockroach. “Form Voltron!" 

With a bright light and interlocking of parts, the Lions had turned into the fabled robot. The smaller ships that had followed the Lions tried to turn tail when they saw Voltron, but unfortunately for them, they never returned to the ship. Between the Red and Green Lions, the three smaller ships were blasted into nothing. Voltron looked up as a wayward blast missed Voltron’s head by several meters. 

"We have to get him out of the way,” Kova voiced the other Paladins’ thoughts. “Ready?”

“Yeah!” The other four Paladins replied. 

With a boost from its thrusters, Voltron flew around to the roach’s side. Like a football player, Voltron flew into and tackled the roach. Smaller ships were deployed, but there was nothing they could do to stop Voltron from carrying the roach away from the space mall. The only thing visible from Voltron’s position was the Coeus’s bright orange particle barrier. Caleb inserted his bayard into its port and turned it. With Red and Green, a long saber formed in their mouths. Voltron angled the sword so its face was parallel to the blade. With a wide sweep and a turn, the roach groaned as the blade cut through it like butter. Escape pods were launched, but enough for the number of soldiers were suspected to be on board. With Voltron’s back to it, the roach exploded in a shower of light. 

“Great job team,” Kova said with a smile. 

“We still don’t know how to disband,” Caleb pointed out. 

“I know." 

"Well,” Shiro said, coming on the call from the Coeus. “While you figure that out, look at this.” He uploaded a transmission to the teens in their Lions. It was a video of Voltron floating dramatically in the dark and empty space. In its hand, or the Red Lion’s mouth was the long saber that had cut through the roach. With a flex of its hand, Caleb willed the sword to disappear by deactivating the power move. In the video, the sword also disappeared. They were live. 

“No way." 

"Pidge and Pops helped,” Shiro said, listening to the astonishment in the voice. “Everyone at the Garrison and some of the planets in the galaxy saw the transmission." 

"Everyone who has a phone would’ve also seen it,” Caleb said. 

“I know.” Kova looked at the Coeus from her seat. “Which means—”

“We’re going to be _hounded_ when we return to the space mall.” Liz finished, eyes wide. 

“We’re going to have to focus, team.” The Paladins perked up when they heard her commanding voice. “Close your eyes. And split!" 

In a flash of light, the five Lions flew around the space mall, with celebratory roars. People were emerging from their hiding spots, looking up at the Lions. They cheered, gawked, or whooped at the sight. 

As the Paladins worked to land their Lions, automated cleaners were dispatched to clean up the dirt and debris that had formed from the battle. Varkon emerged from his hiding spot, probably his office, and was directing people to their ships. Many of them stayed, hoping to catch a glimpse of the new Paladins. Everyone had seen Kova, from her first transmission, but no one had really seen the other four. The Paladins came out of their Lions, helmets on and half-screens activated so they could talk to each other. Allie’s barely visible markings had many Alteans gasping. An Altean was the Blue Paladin. 

Vatos, the Altean boy from earlier, pushed his way past the crowd, ran past Varkon, and into Kova’s arms. Kova had seen the little boy and crouched to catch him. The little boy was sobbing, little arms wrapped around Kova’s neck. 

"Hello, Vatos,” Allie said, crouching to the floor. Vatos looked up from Kova’s shoulder with tears streaming down his face. “Where’s your mommy?" 

"I-I,” Vatos tried to speak, hiccuping. “I don’t know!” The little boy sobbed again, hiding in Kova’s shoulder. With ease, Kova stood with the little boy in her arms, patting his back while he sobbed. Caleb and Liz were trying to diffuse the crowd, while Allie was trying to look over the heads of the excited crowd. Cake looked from Kova holding the little boy, Caleb and Liz further exciting the crowd, and Allie trying in vain to look for someone. He decided to look up at the support pillars when he realized something was wrong. The support beams weren’t sound anymore. The entire second-floor could collapse, bringing the third-floor with it. Cake got Kova’s attention, nodding at the building. Kova nodded and turned to Allie. Vatos was put into Allie’s arms and Kova turned to address the crowd.

“If you are uninjured, have functioning transportation, and do not need immediate assistance, we ask you to return to your home planets until the mall is repaired.” Kova’s voice echoed in the space. “There will be a place and a time for formal introductions, however, we need to ensure your safety before we move on." 

"You all heard the Paladin!” Varkon yelled. “Get moving!” The mall visitors looked between Kova and Varkon and left. By the dozens, the crowd dispersed, returning to their various ships. Liz and Cake were instructed to follow the crowd to make sure everyone got to their transportation safe. Caleb and Kova wound up with a dozen or so kids who lost their parents in the chaos. Vatos was the youngest of the lost kids, with a Balmeran child as the oldest. Allie had managed to gather the kids into the food court, sitting them in a circle and told them a story about a princess trapped in her castle. 

As the other Paladins searched through the mall, they found that many of the collapsed walls had trapped the people inside. The bathrooms were relatively untapped, but some of the stalls had become trapped by the doors. It took too long, even with Kenny and Shiro helping the teens out from the Coeus. Hunk and Pidge helped Kenny where they could, looking for lifeforms in the building. Allie was in the middle of the story, where the princess had managed to scale the unclimbable wall when Kova came over her earpiece. The parents, distraught and panicked, had been found. There were also several injured. 

Allie didn’t know what to do with the kids looking at her expectantly. She asked Kova if the injured could be sent to her. Kova agreed, on the condition that Allie finishes her story. 

As children and parents were being matched together, Vatos was the only child left. His mother wasn’t able to be found, and the poor boy had fallen asleep. All the injuries were mostly scrapes and bruises. The worst was a fractured rib from a line cook who had become trapped under some rubble. The families were sent home with pictures and a story, many of the younger kids asleep. 

Team Voltron had searched the entire mall, every store, every bathroom, every hallway, and dead-end. They couldn’t find Vatos’s mom. 

By then, the Coeus’s particle barrier had lowered and the teens had a choice to make. Bring Vatos along since they were now responsible for him or leave him with Varkon and hope he returns to Altea. 

Kenny wasn’t happy with the response. 

“Why my room, again?” Kenny asked, arms crossed. He stood in the doorway to his room while Kova set up a bed and Allie held the boy. 

“Your room is the only room with secured furniture.” Kova didn’t look at Kenny, tucking in the sheets. Pulling back the outer layer, Kova motioned for Allie to lay the little boy down. As she did, Vatos stirred. Unintentionally or not, the three froze, holding bated breath. As Vatos turned to his side so his back was to the trio, they sighed. 

“What if he wakes up?” Kenny asked, looking at the girls. Allie walked past Kenny. Kova stopped in front of Kenny, meeting his eyes. 

“You’re the most experienced with soothing a four-year-old.” Kenny’s eyes softened, looking down. Kova walked past him, opening the door. “Besides, he’s four. He can’t be worse than me.” He scoffed. A quiet 'Yeah right’ was heard under his breath as the door closed.


	33. Zealous Approach: III

Far away from where the Coeus rested, Yorak’s massive battleship floated through at almost a crawl. The bridge was lifeless. No holoscreens were lit. Any chairs were gone. Through a labyrinth of halls lit by lowlight from above, soldiers stood ready at an escape pod with coordinates set for the colonies. The silence dragged on with the hours, just waiting. The Emperor was creative and cruel. Whatever his latest victim ended up looking, they were likely not going to make it to the colonies. The soldiers who stood guard at the metal door in the kitchen reserves would agree. When the cooling system in the freezer turned on, they could remain stone-faced. Unmovable. When it turned off, the memories of boot camp returned. The barely audible screams. The soldiers flinched and shook as the screams became louder, but weren’t enough to give anyone else on the ship the pleasure of hearing. They remembered they were lucky it wasn’t them. That was all. 

Inside the walk-in freezer, Yorak wore a cruel smile and a dark bodysuit. His victim was chained by her wrists to the ceiling. The woman wore a jade green shirt and light gray pants with matching boots. Her dark brown hair looked darker under the dim light in the freezer, blue eyes lifeless as she breathed heavily. Before her breath could even itself out, hot water forcefully sprayed onto her body. She shook her body, trying in vain to escape the scalding water. The chains shook, but never gave way. Ugly red marks were left on her pale skin where the spray hit her bare skin. Her clothes could provide only so much protection before they too were soaked in the hot water. At the temperature change, the freezer turned itself on and her screams were drowned out. As her screams died, the uselessness of her moving now apparent, her body now sagged, Yorak decided at last to restart his interrogation.

“Sammima,” Yorak said, his smile growing impossibly wider. The woman shook as she strained her head to face the man. “You failed me. That is why you are here." 

"I-I’m sorry, Emperor.” Sammima bowed her head, every word taking another breath. 

“Tell me.” Yorak stepped forward so he was well-within Sammima’s line of sight. “Why did the Black Paladin get away from you?" 

"I-I,” Sammima began to violently shake, the once-hot water quickly freezing on her skin. 

“This will all stop when you tell me why the Black Paladin got away from you.” Yorak was close enough to tuck a loose strand of dark hair behind Sammima’s pointed ear. It was the only Altean trait the human half-breed had. That, and her inhuman strength. 

“They pushed us aside, ordering us to take shelter,” Sammima said between shuddering breaths. “My son—”

“What about your son?” The faux care in Yorak’s voice turned cold again, removing his hand from Sammima’s face. “This is about the Paladins." 

"I was in position, but my son,” Sammima tried not to meet the Emperor’s cruel eyes. “He heard the Paladins and dragged me along to meet them." 

"Sammima, I have no patience for excuses." 

"I’m sorry, Emperor." 

The freezer turned itself off, but the woman still shook. Yorak was fine in his bodysuit glaring at the woman’s meek form. The skin on her face had begun to turn waxy and the tips of her fingers were turning blue. Ugly red welts appeared on her neck where the spray was most concentrated. Her head was still down when she heard the freezer being knocked on. 

"She’s ready.” Yorak’s voice was stiff. With weak movements, two soldiers came in to unchain her from her restraints, bringing her down to the floor. Sammima collapsed into a heap on the cold floor of the freezer. “Take her away. If she dies, her son will bear the weight of his crimes.” Sammima was too tired to fight, to argue, to stand. Each of the soldiers hooked their arms under her armpits and dragged her out of the freezer. Before Sammima passed out, Yorak’s tall form reminded her of the brave young man she remembered fondly so long ago. What happened to him? 

————

Keith was smoothing down as much of his dark hair as possible, tying it in a low ponytail as he made his way to the bridge. 

Through the door and into the bridge, his face fell as he saw Kova’s stupid purple sweater. Her back was to him and the door, the bright blue screen at the windows lit up. 

“Good morning, Keith,” Kova greeted without turning around. Caleb, in his chair a step below and to the right of Kova’s podium, turned around to see the man. With a little wave, Caleb turned around, looking at the screen. 

“How did you know it was me?” Keith asked, approaching Kova to lean on her railing between Kova and Caleb. 

“A teen with strict parents knows.” Kova finally looked up from her holoscreen to meet his eyes. “And we were running the cameras for software updates.” She pointed to a small part of the screen that had been obscured by Kova. She was right. Cake, with his tongue sticking out, was much too close to the camera, looking at something directly above it. 

“Now?” Cake said, looking directly at the camera. His voice seemed to surround Keith, and he looked at the walls hoping to figure out where it came from. Kova pressed a finger to her ear to respond. 

“Yeah, we’re good.” Cake made a little air pump, then got down from the small step ladder he was using to be so close to the camera in the first place. 

“You added audio?” Keith asked, staring at the screen. 

“We didn’t add anything. We just improved it.” Kova closed the camera feed and stared at the empty screen. “Now." 

One by one, multiple screens lit up as Cake happily sang.

"SECRET TUNNEL! SECRET TUNNEL!” Cake sang to the engine room, putting the step ladder just inside the door. “THROUGH THE MOUNTAIN!” He happily marched his way to the bridge. For every syllable, he marched one step. “SECRET, SECRET, SECRET, SECRET TUNNEL! YEAH!” With the last word, Cake’s voice came from the hallway next to the bridge. With both hands in the air and a smile on his face, Cake posed for the camera. 

“Cake!” Kova yelled. 

“Coming!” Cake panicked and ran to the bridge, almost missing the door entirely. Keith stared at him with an incredulous look, but Cake walked past him with the little dignity he had left and sat down in his chair. One by one, the cameras turned off except for the one in front of Shiro’s room. His door had opened, looking into the empty hallway. At last, he looked up at the camera and pointed at it with one finger. 

“No.” With that, he walked back into his room. 

“Software update." 

"The cameras take a tick to come online, but,” Kova shrugged. “It works." 

"I can agree with that." 

"Time for our next order of business.” Kova moved her head from side to side, hoping to pop her neck. “Allie, did we find anything on Vatos’s mom?" 

"Good news is yes, the bad news is no,” Allie said, uploading her screen to the larger one. “Her name is Sammima Clarke, a half-Altean and half-human hybrid.” A woman appeared on the screen, with very dark hair swept to the side and tied in a bun and light blue eyes. 

“She doesn’t have Altean markings,” Caleb pointed out, and Allie nodded. 

“It’s odd, but it isn’t uncommon,” Allie explained, showing a side-profile of Sammima. “Her file says she has Altean strength, ears, and others." 

"Other?" 

"Probably something else. I’m too young to develop past these.” Allie patted her markings with her fingers, showing them to her team. Keith stared at the girl with questions, but the team moved on. 

“So we found her official Altean file,” Kova started. 

“But we can’t find _her_.” Allie finished the sentence. “Maybe she worked for the Emperor?” Allie turned around, glancing at Keith as she spoke. Kova shook her head, looking at the woman. 

“She isn’t half-Galra, there’s no point.” Kova stared into the woman’s eyes until a thought came to mind. “I’ve got an idea, but I gotta talk to Kenny first." 

"This isn’t something you can share with us?” Caleb said, turning around. Both Keith and Kova stared at him. Kova was side-eyeing Keith, hoping to get the point across. The realization struck Caleb just as Keith spoke. 

“Why can’t you share?” Keith turned his head to stare at Kova, who leaned herself against her screen in a second of panic. “On top of that, why are you guys in here? Isn’t our turn?" 

"Dad is making the schedule as we speak. And no." 

"If we’re going to be taking over for you guys, shouldn’t we know what’s going on?" 

"We already covered technical with my dad and Pidge,” Cake spoke up. 

“Allie and I have the medical bay covered,” Liz said. 

“Dad will be in charge of the main console, and you’ll be in my seat.” Caleb was next, crossing his arms. 

“We’re in here because we didn’t want to wake up Kenny and Vatos.” Allie was last, looking up. 

“We haven’t eaten breakfast yet,” Kova explained, running a hand through her hair. “Patience yields focus.” Before Keith could say anything in response, the screen showing a warning. Opening it up, the teens stared. 

“Starting tracking!” Liz said, typing away at her screen. 

“Do you want us to intercept?” Cake asked. 

“No, take a mold and track it!” Kova ordered. “Liz, give me a BLIP reading!” Liz swiped at her screen, passing it onto the larger screen, and someone to Kova’s right took it as Liz began to take a reading. The small pod appeared to contain only one person, with very low readings. Whoever was inside wouldn’t make it to their destination without dying. 

“We need to intercept,” Keith said, staring at the screen. 

“I agree.” Kova made her way out of the bridge, removing her sweater as she did so. Caleb stood to follow her, but Keith stood in his way. With a pointed stare, Liz stood up and followed Kova out. 

“There are some fights you need to wait and watch before you make a move.” Caleb sat down, Keith’s words setting in. Wait and watch? 

The Black and Green Lions left the transport bays, heading towards the fast-moving pod. The Black Lion flew in front of the pod, catching its jaw. Inside, Kova pushed the controls forward, hoping to counteract the speed. Liz unboarded the Green Lion, hopping inside the small pod. 

There was only a holoscreen showing the coordinates and a wide back area where a figure lay collapsed under a thick sheet. 

“Green to Coeus, prepare med bay.” Allie stood up, getting to the med bay as quickly as she could. “Hello?” Liz said, crouching to see the person’s face. The person was shivering, shaking violently. The tips of their fingers and their lips were blue, but an ugly welt on the inside of their neck made it seem like they were worse off than they should. “I’m getting you out of here. Ready?” Liz said, picking up the figure by her armpits. She bit down on her lips as she marched herself towards the hatch she had come in from. Using the sheet as a wrap, Liz managed to hoist the person through the hole, over her shoulder, and into her Lion. Laying the person down in the back of the cockpit, Liz ran to her chair and took off. 

Watching the Green Lion fly around, the Black Lion let the pod go underneath them, watching it fly into the distance. 

The Lions returned to the bay, Liz and Allie took the figure into the med bay and began trying to treat them, and the rest of the team anxiously ate breakfast while the pair worked. 

“ _Colonel and Kova Shirogane to the med bay, thank you_ ,” Allie said over the intercom, just as Shiro had served himself a plate and Kova finished hers. They both stood, with Kova seeming more anxious than before. 

Liz looked exhausted and defeated, with Allie nowhere to be found. She looked up as the Shiroganes walked in. 

“Allie confirmed,” Liz started. “That’s Sammima Clarke." 

"And?” Kova asked, approaching the window. Liz looked down. 

“We can’t save her.” Liz clenched her hands into fists. “She requested the Black Paladin and the Colonel." 

"She’s talking?” Shiro asked, opening the door. 

“Not for long.” She looked up again, staring at the figure in the bed. Allie was at her bedside, holding Sammima’s hand and brushing her hair away from her face. 

“Sammima?” Shiro said, stepping into the room. Kova stood at the door, placing a hand on Liz’s shoulder before walking in herself. “I am Colonel Takashi Shirogane.” Allie tried to walk away, but Sammima’s strength came back if only to keep Allie at her side. 

“I’m Kovalia Shirogane, Paladin of the Black Lion,” Kova said, standing at the foot of the bed. Sammima struggled to breathe, but she managed to speak. 

“Yorak wants you dead, Colonel,” Sammima said, meeting Shiro’s eyes, then turned to Kova. “For stealing you away." 

"Sammima,” Kova said, coming around to where Allie stood. “Have you been to Earth?” The woman smiled as her eyes softened. 

“My father took me there many times. I grew up there. In a little house, with a big willow tree in the backyard." 

"Have you ever met a TJ in your time?" 

"Yes.” She breathed, turning her head towards the ceiling. “So nice. So smart. So handsome. Nothing like whatever he turned into.” Sammima’s eyes became sad, a tear coming from her eye. She turned her head to the side to meet Allie’s tearful gaze. “I hope my son never turns out like him." 

"I promise, Sammima,” Kova said, as Allie choked back a sob. “No harm will come to your boy." 

"My crimes are mine to bear,” Sammima said, staring at the ceiling again. “Mine to bear.” The heart monitor bounced a few more times as the O2 levels lowered until the monitor read a flatline and low O2 levels. Kova held Allie as she sobbed. The young girl was led out while Shiro raised the sheet over Sammima’s face. 

After a few hours, the former Paladins and the Shirogane clan were on the bridge. Caleb sat in his chair with Kova sitting on the step next to him. Pidge and Hunk took seats in Liz and Cake’s seats, respectively. Keith was annoyed in Allie’s seat, arms crossed. Shiro was in front of the team, rubbing the bridge of his nose. 

“We have to cremate the body,” Kova said, muffled by her own cheeks as she squished them with her fists. “It’s what we were trained to do." 

"We can’t just,” Hunk said, making little hand gestures. “Launch her?" 

"Or send her back to Altea?” Pidge asked, looking to Shiro. Shiro sighed. 

The teens were right. 

All bodies had to be cremated because they aren’t degradable in space, unlike ocean burials or traditional burials. The problem was the Coeus. The Coeus was built before this law became law at all. Before the Garrison Council and the Galactic Coalition. The Coeus doesn’t have a cremator unless you count the thrusters as a make-shift one. That was when the idea of respect for the deceased came up. 

The Coeus would have to land, and with Yorak becoming more desperate, it was dangerous. 

“We don’t know if the pod would cross through Fire sectors, and they might intercept or attack the pod before it gets there.” Caleb was arguing for landing the Coeus. Kova was with him. 

“We have to land.” Kova stretched her arms over her head, giving her cheeks a break. 

“How are you going to make a fire hot enough to turn the body into ash?” Keith asked, turning around to face Kova. 

“We made a welder. I’m sure making a hot enough fire won’t be that bad." 

"We can’t land. We can just eject and go." 

"We have to land." 

"No, we don’t." 

"It’s space law. I’m not committing another felony." 

"What?" 

"Enough,” Shiro said, the two sides finally quieting. “All in favor of landing, raise a hand.” Kova, Caleb, and Keith raised a hand. Shiro also raised a hand. Keith turned to Pidge and Hunk at the other side of the room, who stared at him in surprise. Just as quickly, they accepted the landing. 

The Coeus would find itself on a dwarf planet, named Vyria 1RC, within hours. The teens flew around in the Lions, practicing their moves as they planned.


	34. A Portentous Warning: I

“Schedule has been finalized,” Shiro announced, using his robotic arm as a console to the large screen in the Coeus’s bridge. To his right and in Liz and Cake’s chairs were the former Paladins. To his left, the current Paladins were either sitting in their chair or on the step next to them. Kova was leaning on the banister around her console, looking bored. 

“Yay,” Caleb said unenthusiastically, earning him a punch to the knee from Liz. 

“Starting today, the adults will take over breakfast and dinner shifts every other day. The teens will have a lunch shift today, then switch off tomorrow.” The incredibly detailed schedule was, well, incredibly detailed. The adults, marked as solidly blue, were boxed in until lunchtime, where the teens, marked as red, were boxed in. Small spaces of purple showed the shift change between the two groups. Kova scoffed as she looked it over, a small smile on her face. 

“Colonel, I mean no disrespect,” Liz began. “But—”

“Why shifts?” Pidge asked, earning her a glare from the Green Paladin. “Why not full days?" 

"Shiro, I’m gonna be honest,” Hunk said. “This is stupid.” Shiro stared at the teens, who were either smiling or laughing softly. “They’re doing a great job already." 

"Hunk!” Keith and Pidge stared at him. 

“What?" 

"Chef Garrett, the concern is,” Kova said, meeting Keith’s eyes. “We’re just kids.” Her smile rivaled Keith’s glare. 

“Permission to continue?” Liz asked, looking at the Shirogane teens. Both nodded before she looked back to their dad.

“Granted. What’s on your mind?" 

"Colonel, what if they have the whole day today, and we can have the whole day tomorrow?” Shiro pouted for only a second but changed the schedule accordingly. The schedule had one day solidly blue, the other solidly red, with purple outlining sleep schedules. Kenny, marked by an ugly brown, had a separate schedule with varying shades of green and khaki in various time slots. 

“Uh, Colonel, I’m gonna need a color code chart for that.” Speak of the devil. Kenny had arrived. He was cleaning his glasses with the hem of his shirt, so he was squinting to look at the screen. Even half-blind, he could see the random colors on the screen. 

“You’re late.” Shiro was annoyed. 

“You’re brown.” Kova was bored again. 

“Sorry, I had to give Vatos a bath,” Kenny said, putting his glasses back on. “And why?" 

"Yellow looks white and orange looks red, probably.” Kova shrugged, lolling her head to stare at Shiro. He was muttering something about the teen being a know-it-all, but took down the screen and sent it to the consoles. 

“Jax, I need you to take Blue and Yellow on another recon,” Shiro said, approaching the podium. Kova stood straight at the nickname, looking straight ahead. “Ken will take over from there." 

"Yes, sir.” Kova nodded her head and turned to Allie and Cake. “Let’s go.” The two stood from their seats, gone before the former Paladins could ask why. 

“Griffin, Sec, you’re on babysitting duty." 

"Yes, Colonel." 

"Hooray." 

"Sec." 

"Going!” As Caleb lazily left the bridge, Shiro turned to the other adults. 

“Keith, you can take Caleb’s chair,” Shiro said, smiling. “Let me show you how to run the ship." 

————————

"Y'know, I never expected to be out here again,” Cake said, looking at the stars from the stray meteorite he found himself on. The stars were either too bright or too dim, but there was no denying they were there. 

“What?” Kova replied. “Cutting and harvesting scrap metal?” She was about two levels above Cake’s head, using her bayard to bat a small piece out of her way. Many of the pieces were unusable, too small to have a purpose. 

“No.” Cake jumped from the meteorite to a large sheet of twisted metal. “I was raised on my Balmera until I was, like, ten." 

"The stars certainly look different.” Allie’s voice was almost wistful. She was leaning on a tall post, splintered in half so it could rest under Allie’s elbow. 

“Aw, homesick babies." 

"C'mon, Cap.” Cake found a steep decline in the twisted metal. “You can’t say you don’t miss Earth." 

"I’m also a trained soldier, Cake.” Kova watched Cake slide down the piece from above, smiling. “I put others over myself." 

"You weren’t always,” Kenny said, breaking through the silence. “You were a little kid with hopes and dreams.”

“Yeah, forever ago.”

“If you weren’t a soldier, what would you be?” Allie had managed to find Cake nearly falling into space, only to jump onto a nearby rock. “I never asked my question.” Silence followed. Cake managed to climb onto the small rock, giving Allie a thumbs up. She shook her head in response. 

“I don’t know,” Kova said, her voice almost a whisper. “An astrologist, maybe? Maybe a farmer.”

“C'mon, Kova." 

"I’m serious!” Kova continued to absentmindedly bat away space junk. “I don’t know how I did, but I lived in spite, and I don’t plan on stopping." 

"Ouch.” Kenny teased, smiling. “That hurt my feelings." 

"Why do you live in spite?” Pidge asked. Kova jumped at the voice, but she opened up her arm piece to show where her voice had echoed. Only the bridge on the Coeus showed any connection between the trio and the crew onboard. 

“Nice to see you figured out the connections,” Kova said, deactivating her bayard and jumping to a level below. “Now if you can figure out suit tracking." 

"What?” Kova smiled proudly at Pidge’s confusion, landing on a twisted piece of scrap metal harmlessly. “The suits don’t have tracking." 

"They do now." 

"How’s the recon going?” Hunk asked, interrupting the fight that was sure to break out between Kova and Pidge. 

“Wonderfully.” Kova looked around the trash nebula the trio was in. “We have found absolutely nothing." 

"Nothing?" 

"Nothing. Everything is either too small or too big.” Kova had jumped off another ledge, landing next to Allie with Cake just within eyesight. “Clear to return?" 

"Y—” Hunk began to say when Shiro cut him off with a headshake. 

“You’re cleared. Return to your Lions.” Kenny gave the order, returning to adjusting something in the engine room. It hadn’t been fifteen minutes when Kova came back online. 

“Uh, sending a transmission to the Coeus.” The four adults watched as the massive screen came on, showing a video feed from the Black Lion. Three figures were approaching the Lions, and fast. Silver in color, they were about twelve feet tall with handguns, literal handguns brandished. “Oh, no." 

"Activating particle barrier!” Kenny said, slamming a button. “Five minutes to activation and counting." 

"Do you need the other Lions’ assistance?" 

"Negative. We got this.” Kova closed the transmission channel and stared at the three bots. “On me, split. Ready?” The other two Paladins nodded, readying themselves as a united front. The bots were feet away when Kova’s signal came. “Split!” The Black Lion ducked down, letting the centermost bot fly overhead. The Blue Lion darted up and to the left, nicking the bot’s flat head. Yellow took a unique approach, ramming its head into the bot at full-force. 

“Not what she meant!" 

"Not what I meant!” The girls shouted at the same time, preparing themselves to take another attack from their attackers. 

“Well, now we have two to deal with.” Allie’s bot had made a quick turn, following Blue. Allie, in a panic, had ordered her Lion to attack. Blue did that. Blue raised its tail until it was over its head and fired a shot, causing the bot to explode. 

“I have a laser tail?!” Allie exclaimed, looking over her systems. 

_Amateurs_ , Keith thought but said nothing. 

“On me!” The other two Lions converged, with Black activating its dual-sided jaw blade. As the last bot sped towards the three Lions, the Lions once again split, with the blade cutting through the bot in a clean cut. It exploded as the Black Lion deactivated its jaw blade. 

“What were those?” Pidge asked. 

“Warning shots,” Kova answered, turning on transmissions from the Lion to the Coeus. “Coeus, review for trackers." 

"I got it,” Shiro said when Pidge turned to him for help. From her screen, she took note of what Shiro opened to scan the Lions with. The Black Lion had a tracker on its right hind leg. The Yellow Lion had one on its forehead. The Blue Lion had one on its tail, but unlike the others that glowed green, the tracker on Blue showed red. The laser must have rendered it inactive. “Two green on Yellow and Black. One red on Blue." 

"Quiznack.” Kova motioned the Lion to rest away from the Coeus. “We’ll wait for the barrier to deactivate. Until then, we’ll remove the trackers." 

Eventually, the particle barrier deactivated itself, the teens got rid of the trackers, and they were able to continue sailing through space. 

———————

"I’m very upset.” It was all Curtis said. The teens looked on with matching looks of ‘What are you doing to do about it?’ while the adults looked at Curtis like he was a savior of some sort. It was the first weekly meeting all of the Paladins, former and current, were able to attend. 

“Kids, I don’t think I need to remind you what happened the last time you were responsible for a toddler." 

"We bathed him! He was fine!" 

"You didn’t do the laundry.” Curtis rolled his eyes, meeting Shiro’s. “Takashi.”

“It was the best idea at the time,” Shiro said, stepping between Kova and Curtis. “And besides, we’re working on a plan." 

"It better be a good one.” He muttered, shaking his head. “Keith, Pidge, and Hunk. It’s good to see you all alive." 

"Alive." 

"I read your reports over the past few weeks. May I say, Kova, you’re getting better at notes.” A silent fist pump came from Kova as Curtis continued. “Wish you would’ve told me about the prisoners sooner, but at least we know now." 

"What’s going on at the Garrison?” Kova asked. Curtis’s face fell, glancing over the faces looking at him. The five teens were the first front of the defense. They had to know. 

“Well, besides every student at the Garrison making speculations as to who has which Lion, the LDP preparing for war, the council demanding to know why we’re repairing an abandoned sub-floor, and Cyrus on school break,” Curtis shrugged. “There isn’t much to tell.”

“The LDP is what?” Kova demanded. Caleb stood from his chair. The other teens either straightened their backs or widened their eyes. Kenny had walked in after laying Vatos down for a nap. 

“But only Captain Holt has that authority!” Kenny said, descending the staircase to be in full view of the small drone that served as a camera. 

“And both Commander and Captain Holt had given the order, based on the declaration." 

"What declaration?” Kova said again, eyes hard. Curtis sighed, pulling out his phone. He pulled up a video and showed it to the teens. 

Yorak, in all his evil glory, stood in the middle of the frame. His dark hair was slicked back, showing off the long scars on his cheeks. His eyes flickered dangerously as a smirk grew across his face. His dark armor was on full display, showing off the violet Y in the middle of his chest plate. Soldiers stood behind him, guns in hand. Then he spoke. 

“My name is Yorak, and I am Emperor of the Fire of Purification. You may remember my sabotaged transmission from before with my pesky younger sister deciding to rebel. No matter. This is an official declaration of war. My sister chose her side. So will I. I will take and claim every planet in the galaxy until every planet is purged from the hate and distrust my fellow hybrids have had to suffer and endure over the past thirty years. If the only way to purify it is to burn every village, city, and planet to the ground, I will not hesitate to do so. You’ve seen what I’ve done to the Unilu space mall. I can and will do worse. Your move, Voltron.” He said the last word with a mocking tone. Every word sent Kova’s blood boiling and chills down her spine. 

“Woah, _that’s_ your bad guy?" 

"Sister?” Pidge asked. “Who’s his sister?” She had turned around to stare at Kova, who had stood straight like a pin. 

“He’s delusional,” Keith said, noticing Kova’s change in demeanor. He placed his hands on Pidge’s shoulders. “It’s okay.” 

“Alright, before someone kills someone,” Curtis said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “The Holts gave the order. The LDP is preparing for war, but they’ve been given orders to shut their mouths or immediate expulsion." 

"You sure know how to threaten teenagers, Commander,” Liz said, slouching on the step. 

“I had a lot of practice.” Curtis stretched his arms, yawning. He shook his head and returned to the crew of the Coeus. “I can’t order the LDP to stop without telling the Holts about you guys. As far as they know, Kenny is in space with you guys lightyears away and trying to return to Earth." 

"Commander, what about access to files?" 

"Only those who know what files were opened when are allowed to look in those files,” Curtis said sternly. “The original crew of the Coeus was given authorization and only the current Paladins and Kenny are authorized to look in the files. Am I clear?" 

"Yes, Commander.” The teens sat straight if they weren’t before as they spoke. 

“Wait, so we’re going to be told who the enemy is and that’s it?” Hunk looked up at Curtis, hoping for more. 

“Yes,” Curtis nodded his head. “I’m sorry, Hunk, but until you return to Earth, I can’t reinstate your clearance. Besides, the Paladins can give you everything you need without disclosing classified information." 

"Is that all?” Shiro asked. Curtis nodded his head, said his goodbyes, and the transmission ended. “Kova, go blow off some steam. Caleb, supervise." 

"Can I kidnap Liz and Cake for the engine room?” Kenny asked Shiro. He nodded, and Kenny led the way with Liz and Cake on his heels. 

“Allie, grab your first-aid kit. Kova might need it.” Allie nodded her head, head bowed as she left the bridge. 

“What happened before we got here?” Pidge asked. Shiro took a heavy breath. With his robotic arm, Shiro opened the last transmission. 

Yorak stood behind a railing, wearing an armored suit similar to the one in his latest transmission, with a billowing cape magically attached to his shoulders. His voice bordered on jovial, proud of what he had done. Over his shoulder, Kova looked shocked and angry. Her light brown eyes flicked across the room she was in before zeroing in on Yorak talking. Behind her, likely holding her hands together as a light purple alien. He could’ve been mistaken for Galra if it wasn’t for the fluffy dark turquoise hair coming from his head. His ears were pointed, lined with matching fur and pink inner ears. Aquamarine irises followed something off-screen, and when his turn came, he stepped forward to reveal his outfit. It matched Yorak’s, except for the cape. Kova took the opportunity to shove the two aside, make her own statement, and cut the feed. 

Before anyone could speak their thoughts into words, Shiro switched the video to a live camera feed from the training room below. 

Kova had removed her lavender sweater, throwing it in a far alcove. Only her dark head of hair was visible, but from the way her arms were moving and the way her braid moved, she was angry. Yelling something. She pointedly glared at the balcony where Caleb was setting up a bot. A bot, maybe as tall as her, fell to the floor, activating itself. Before it fully turned on, it took an angry spinning kick to the head. It fell on its back, slowly standing up. In an onslaught of beatings, the training bot took hit after hit from Kova, until there was nowhere else it could go. Another bot appeared on the floor, brandishing a sword. It approached Kova from behind, sword raised. With one last punch to the first bot’s face, Kova spun around with a blade in her hand. A long curved sword came from Kova’s bayard. With both hands on the hilt, Kova pushed the bot back until it was far enough to let her swing. With one swing, Kova freed the bot from its movement mechanism. It didn’t have legs, but rather a large wheel that righted itself when the bot fell over. 

“Fast, ruthless, smart,” Hunk counted on his fingers. “No wonder he thinks she’s his sister.”

“He called her out,” Pidge said. Shiro turned to face his friends. “I’d be mad, too.”

“It doesn’t help that she’s half-Galra,” Keith said, watching Shiro nod his head as he deactivated the screen. “Yorak’s threat made the division real.”

“Follow the other hybrids,” Keith said. “Or follow your destiny.” 

"Poor kid.” Hunk shook his head. As the weight of the mission ahead of the teens finally sank in, Shiro hoped, prayed to Allura, that Keith and Pidge would get it. Their little girl wasn’t so little anymore. No. She was currently showing her temper against poor bots who hadn’t done a thing to her. 

It took almost an hour, but Kova ran out of steam. Her knuckles were bruised and bloody, hands still curled into fists. Her hands shook as Allie tried to apply disinfectant. She had never seen Kova so angry. The other Paladins were having dinner while Allie tended to Kova’s wounds. Kova took deep breaths as she tried not to flinch, wince, and open her fists. [:D]

“Do you,” Allie said softly. “Do you want to talk about it?” Her bright blue eyes briefly met Kova’s amber ones. As Kova’s eyes darted back to her lap, she nodded her head. 

“He called me out,” Kova said. “You know what it’s like for hybrids right now. Follow the hybrid leader of Voltron or follow the hybrid of the Fire. It’s a choice no one wants to make.” Allie waited, letting the words come to Kova. No words came. 

“That doesn’t explain why you were angry.” Her voice was soft. Kova’s hands had unfurled themselves, letting Allie better treat them. Kova looked up at Allie again, sorting through her thoughts. 

Why was she angry? There was no time to answer as the Coeus shook. 


	35. A Portentous Warning: II

The weekly meeting with Curtis on Earth and the crew of the Coeus happened on the day the teens were covering the bridge. Kova and Allie rushed past the kitchen, where the adults were eating whatever Hunk and Cake managed to make. Down the hallway, past the sleeping quarters, past Shiro’s room, and to the left, was the bridge through the only doorway to the right. Kova never broke her stride, reaching out to grab her podium. Allie hadn’t bandaged Kova’s hands, leaving them still bruised and bloodied. Caleb, who had walked in seconds earlier, turned his chair around as Allie walked past to sit in her chair. Kova looked up at Caleb’s turning, seeing the lavender fabric in his hands. He tossed the bundle to her like a basketball, and Kova managed to catch it. She had managed to put it on and pull the sleeves down to cover her knuckles when Krolia turned around. 

“Kovalia,” Krolia said, noticing the teen standing at her console. “I was wondering when you would come." 

"Sorry for keeping you waiting,” Kova said. She leaned on her console, hiding her knuckles in the bend of her elbows as Krolia approached the podium. 

“Um, sorry,” Liz said. She and Cake were gaping at the sight of the Galra. “When did we meet?" 

"Cap, you can’t secrets from us,” Cake whined, puppy dog eyes in full view.

“Your team?” Krolia asked, looking at Kova again. The teen had closed her eyes and furrowed her brows, hoping to ignore the other two members. 

“Yep.” She opened her eyes. “We have something to ask you." 

"About cargo.” Krolia placed a hand on her hip. “I recall. What is it and where is it going?” At that, the teen sucked in her lips and took a breath. 

“Vatos,” Kova called. Krolia, confused, turned around at the toddler that had been coloring in the corner. His sheets of paper were in disarray, with crudely made crayons in his fists. When Kova said his name, the little boy looked up with a toothy smile. “Hi,” Kova said, giving a little wave. Vatos waved his fist before returning to his scribbles. 

“No.” Krolia was quick in her response. “Kovalia, I am not and will not become responsible for the child." 

"Please?” Kova pleaded. “We can’t safely transport him without running into the Fire.” Krolia sighed, looking at the little boy. Vatos had managed to draw a mess of yellow, red, green, blue, and black. He stood, walked over to Cake’s console, and proudly held up the paper to show it to Cake. Cake fawned over the picture, telling Vatos what a great job he had done. Krolia closed her eyes in defeat. 

“Where is he going?” She asked, turning her head to face Kova. It didn’t help that Kova was trying to hide a victorious smile. 

“Earth, if possible." 

"Not Altea?" 

"If the Emperor were to become aware of the war, he would order all available troops to prepare,” Allie cut in. “All of our citizens would be rehomed, and travel to Earth for refuge. Altea won’t be safe." 

"Like Daibazaal,” Krolia said, her voice low. “Alright, I’ll do it. But I expect something in return, Kovalia." 

"You have my word.” Kova rolled her eyes, sending off a message to Kenny. Since Kenny had been in charge of the toddler, Kenny was also assigned to prep a bag in case the deal came through. “Kenny will bring the bag, and Vatos is all yours." 

"You’re lucky I was already on my way here.” Speak of the devil. The door opened up and quickly closed behind him, tossing the bag to Kova. Kova, in turn, tossed it to Krolia. “Hey, Grandma,” Kenny said, waving. “Wait, Grandma?!" 

"Kenneth, correct?” Krolia asked Kova, swinging Vatos’s bag over her shoulder. Kova nodded. Cake explained, as well as you could explain to a kid, that Krolia was going to take him somewhere safe. 

“Where Mommy is?” Vatos asked. Cake’s smile faltered. Allie’s shoulders sagged. Caleb didn’t meet the little boy’s eyes. Kova moved, descending the staircase to Cake’s level, and sat down on the step. “Where’s Mommy?" 

"Mommy will join you later,” Kova said, smiling at the little boy. “But she wanted us to keep you safe. So that’s what we’re going to do. Is that okay?” After a tick, the little boy nodded. “Good. Krolia, the woman over there, is going to take you to Earth. One of my dads is going to take care of you when you get there. Okay?" 

"Okay.” Another head nod from the little boy. “Will I be able to color on my way there?” Kova shrugged, picking up the little boy so he rested on her hip. 

“You’re going to have to ask Krolia,” Kova said. “But I think she will.” Kova had leaned in to stage-whisper in his ear, causing the little boy to giggle. Kova approached Krolia, handing Vatos to her. The little boy wrapped his arms around Krolia’s neck to look over her shoulder at Allie and Caleb. Allie gave a small little wave and touched her markings. Caleb smiled at the little boy, only staring at him. 

“Until next time, Kovalia,” Krolia said on her way out, heading towards the emergency exit to the right of the doorway. 

“Until next time, Krolia,” Kova said softly, crossing her arms. After a few minutes, the Coeus shook again, and an escape pod flew past their window. The teens watched the pod until it was unclear if they were looking at a ship or a star. 

“How long has Grandma been here?” Kenny exclaimed, finally unfreezing from his stance. 

“Not long.” Kova turned around, hoping to end the conversation. “This isn't—”

“Is the first time she’s been on the ship?” Kenny asked, staring at Kova with wide eyes. Kova pursed her lips. With a raised eyebrow, she waited until Kenny finished.

“No, this is not the first time she’s been on the ship.” Kova walked over and climbed the stairs one syllable at a time until she reached the floor. “No, she hasn’t asked how the ship is running and who fixed it.” Kova finally made it to her console, pushing Kenny aside. He stood with a gaping mouth and wide eyes. He was shocked. Anyone else would. 

“She probably thinks it was you,” Kenny spoke at last. Kova did what she could to not roll her eyes. 

“I can’t speak for other people’s thoughts, Ken." 

"Everyone else would.” With that, Kenny marched out. Kova looked after him. If it wasn’t her shift. Kenny would have to wait. 

The day stretched into the next, where the teens switched off with the adults. Liz and Cake offered to teach Pidge and Hunk about the little upgrades they had managed to do with their spare time. They admitted it was mostly Kova, but they helped. 

Kova, on the other hand, stood in front of Kenny’s door. Her long hair was tied in a ponytail. She wore her blue dress and leggings under her lavender sweater since her gray vest was given to Keith. She held only a tablet in her hands as she stared into the door. Liz, Cake, and Caleb were pulling out all the stops since Kenny decided to stay in his room today. With a deep breath, Kova knocked and opened the door. 

The room was dark, save only for a distant red light. Kenny had turned part of the closet into a vertical garden. Kova wasn’t sure if the plants were already here pre-launch, or if they were collected over their trip so far, but it was a mystery. Immediately to the right of the doorway, the door to the ensuite bathroom lay, also dark. Across from the door, a bundle of blankets lay on the bed. The door closed behind Kova as she approached. The only shifted when Kova sat on the corner closest to the pillow and the wall. Pulling an outermost blanket away, Kenny’s head of brown hair appeared from the bundle. At least he was still here. 

“Ken,” Kova said softly. “Kenny, look at me." 

"Go away.” Kenny’s voice was hoarse. “Go be perfect somewhere else.” The mountain of sheets moved as Kenny tried to merge with the wall. 

“Kenny,” Kova tried to say. 

“Kova this, Kova that.” His voice was mocking. “‘Why can’t you be more like Kova?’ 'If Kova weren’t the Colonel’s kid, I would’ve thought she was my grandkid.’ 'Kova’s everything everyone wants.’ 'Kova is perfection.” Kova hadn’t said a word while Kenny mocked the comments. She almost jumped out of her skin when he turned his head to glare at her. “Why do you have to be so perfect for everyone?” He turned back around, almost slamming his head against the wall. Kova retracted her hand from the blanket, but she hadn’t moved off the bed. As the blood that rushed in Kenny’s ear calmed down, he noticed Kova had yet to make a sound. He turned around again, looking at her face. Those pretty amber eyes were downcast, filled with so much sadness and hurt, Kenny wished he could take his words back. 

“I wasn’t perfect enough for _them_.” Kova’s voice held just as much sadness as her eyes. “I have to fight with that every day. It doesn’t help that eyes are always on me.” Kenny waited as Kova took a deep breath. “I’m the Colonel’s kid. I’m a top student. I’m the jack of all trades. I don’t’ have time to wallow, to process my feelings. I wish I did.” Kova’s eyes moved from her lap to Kenny’s. “I wish I could be invisible, to not be the center of attention, to not worry about failing.”

“You wish you were me.” Kenny finished her sentence. A rueful smile appeared on her face, nodding gently. 

“I wish I could do what you did.” Kova continued before Kenny could say more. “You rebuilt, upgraded, and in some places, restored this massive outdated ship without anyone ever noticing.” With a hesitant hand, Kova ruffled Kenny’s messy hair. “Sam would be proud. So would Matt.”

“What about Colleen?” Kova scoffed as she returned her hand to the tablet in her hand. 

“Colleen has always been proud of her grandkids, whether they became evil emperors, homebodies, or high-ranking soldiers.” Kenny smiled, playfully glaring at Kova. He sat up in bed, pushing his glasses onto his nose. That was when he saw the tablet in Kova’s hands. 

“What’s that for?” He asked, pointing at the tablet. Kova looked down and smiled. 

“I was hoping you would watch some old videos with me.” She looked up, holding the tablet in front of her chest. “From before." 

"Before?” Kenny asked, looking between the tablet and Kova. “Like, /before/ before? Before the Achlys?”

“Before everything." 

"Let’s do it!” Kenny said, excited. He scooched over to leave some room for Kova, who leaned into his pillows uncomfortably. They were much too soft. The tablet turned on and Kova clicked on a video file hidden under a folder labeled 'KHK’. 

The first video opened with a dark screen, with muffled voices over it. At last, the camera opened to reveal a toddler. The little girl had short black hair with a little ponytail on top of her head, held in place by a red hair clip. The toddler had big light brown eyes, with her tongue intermittently darting in and out of her mouth. As the camera zoomed out, more of the toddler’s outfit was revealed. She wore a long-sleeved red shirt with a bow in the middle and ladybugs where her pockets would be, and a pair of light gray pants covered in little ladybugs and red shoes tap shoes. Her playful smile at the camera quickly turned into giggles as someone behind the camera bounced their dark pants-covered leg up and down. The toddler turned her attention from the camera to whoever was there. 

“Klance!” She shouted happily, squealing. 

“How come you’re 'Klance’, but I’m 'Unatt’?” Matt said off-screen. The little toddler turned her head to presumably Matt with a smile. 

“Untt!” The camera zoomed out further until the backs of Lance and Matt’s heads could be seen. Lance had thrown his head back in laughter. The toddler, now assumed to be Kova, giggled again. 

“At least you’re 'Untt’ now.” Lance was holding little Kova, bouncing her on his leg. 

“Be careful, Uncle Lance.” The camera turned, giving a full view of what was the Kogane family home. With a turn of his head and across a floor shift, Lance looked at the dining table, where Kenny met his eyes. “TJ is gonna get really mad if you drop her." 

"I know, Ken,” Lance replied, grabbing little Kova’s waist and holding her above his head. “She’s just a little daredevil." 

"She wouldn’t be if you left her alone.” The camera turned, flying over the armrest to focus on Pidge. She wore a long-sleeved green shirt, hands planted on the kitchen counter. Her eyes, matching the toddlers, were hard. 

“Sorry, Pidge,” Matt said, and the camera flew to the other side of the room. “But if she weren’t a little daring, she wouldn’t be walking, talking, or potty-trained." 

"Yeah, Pidge,” Lance said, finally lowering the little girl. She sat down on his lap, facing where the TV would’ve been. Matt handed her a stuffed ladybug, which she gladly accepted. “Pretty soon, little Kyla will be riding a bike into town." 

Before Pidge could respond, a giant wolf appeared in front of the couch. Lance, who had been reclining, sat up to secure a hold on the toddler. Matt nearly jumped onto the couch. Kyla, with the black and blue wolf only inches from her face, screamed. The wolf’s bright yellow eyes turned to face the screaming child, approaching her to sniff. As Kyla calmed down, about to reach out to pet the wolf, it disappeared. After the moment of shock passed, Kyla was lifted again to stand on Uncle Lance’s lap. 

"That was Kosmo,” Matt said, coming down from the couch. 

“Y'know what that means, Ky?” Uncle Lance smiled up at the little girl, who smiled back. “Daddy’s home!" 

"Daddy!" 

Behind the couch, the front door opened. Keith, muttering something was wrong with the wolf, walked into his home. He wore his Blade of Marmora suit, recognizing him as a high-ranking member. 

"Daddy!” Kyla exclaimed, bouncing up and down. “Daddy! Daddy!" 

"Hey, Lance,” Keith greeted, finally seeing the child. “I didn’t know you had a kid.” Both Lance and Matt looked at each other, then at Pidge, who was trying to blend in with the fridge. That was when TJ emerged from the hallway leading to the bedrooms. 

“Dad!” He all but shouted. TJ’s hair was shorter, cropped at the nape. He wore a familiar red and white jacket over a forest green shirt and black pants. TJ, with arms outstretched, walked towards Keith, who did the same. As Keith let go of his oldest, he walked past his second and ruffled his hair on his way to the counter to finally see his wife. It was quick. It could’ve been missed. Little Kenny, still sitting at the dining table, passed a note to TJ as he took a seat. TJ’s smile fell as he read the note. He looked up to meet Kenny’s eyes and Kenny gave a quick nod. 

“Hey, Uncle Lance?” Kenny said, a little too loud for an inside voice. “Does Kyla need to go to the bathroom?" 

"I don’t know, Ken.” Lance caught on quick, meeting the little girl’s eyes. “Kyla, do you need to go to the bathroom?” She shook her head. “Are you hungry?” She shook her head again. “Are you tired?” At that, she nodded her head. A yawn followed, and Kyla started rubbing her eyes. 

“I’ll take her to bed,” TJ said, standing up from his chair. “She’s our little sister, anyway.” Keith looked up at his son, watched him pick up the little girl dressed in red, and walk deeper into the house. Keith stared at Pidge, who had only closed her eyes. Kenny silently slid out of his chair, walked to the couch, and sat in between Lance and Matt. He was staring right at the camera. 

“So,” Kenny said. “What’s the camera’s name?” Both Lance and Matt now stared directly at the camera. 

“Chad?”

“Why?” Lance asked, staring at Matt. “How about Buddy?” The camera did something, earning Lance’s attention. For a brief second, the lens turned colors before returning to normal. Lance smiled. “Buddy it is, I guess." 

"Okay, Buddy,” Kenny said, and the camera deactivated. 

Kova paused the video before it could continue. She looked up at Kenny, now fifteen years older than the video. He pushed his glasses up as he stared at the dark screen.

“I, uh, didn’t know Buddy’s deactivation phrase,” Kenny said, laughing. “But it was boring afterward anyway. TJ came back out after putting you down and admired the camera. It wasn’t until he realized that the camera could’ve captured an unflattering angle when he asked if it was on." 

"Uncle Matt talked you through it, right?”

“Yeah.” He smiled at the memory. “I was the only one who knew the phrase, besides you.”

“I remembered.” She smiled, too. “I always turned it on whenever something was happening. And if I didn’t turn it on, Pops or Dad did." 

"Who made the video?” Kenny reached his hand out to Kova, who handed over the tablet. “There’s, like, an hour and a half left." 

"Probably Pops.” Kova shrugged. “Maybe it was Buddy. I just know that the video has been under my file for years and has only grown.” Kova stood, stretching her arms. 

“Thanks for that, Ky,” Kenny said. Kova froze mid-stretch. “I really needed that.”

“What? The memory?" 

"The before." 

Kova smiled, holding her hand out. Kenny handed her the tablet, watching as she turned and walked towards the door. No words were said between the two, but the nostalgia hit them all the same.


	36. A Portentous Warning: III

The darkness of the room was lightened by the hallway lights outside the door. A dark head of hair brushed back behind their head, reflected the lights overhead. Whether the shininess was from oil or gel, it was hard to tell. Here’s where the differences came. 

One wore a black and white vest, with their long hair in a ponytail. The other dark head wore dark plated armor, with their hair not reaching longer than the nape of their neck. The person wearing the vest walked past gray and white walls, heading towards an elevator that led to the main floor. As the doors opened, the person who wore the dark plated armor strode forward. As he walked past underlings, they stiffened, some biting their lips and closing their eyes to hide their fear. 

The doors to the bridge opened, and the man wearing the vest walked into the bridge, descending the staircase to the right to look out the large windows. The teens in the chairs didn’t flinch. They ignored Keith as he walked past. Keith stared out into the darkness past the glass. The space was infinite and cold. 

If only they had known that father and son were looking at the same star.

“Keith, are you okay?” The voice was distant, far away from anything in Keith’s mind. 

Kova stared at the man with a confused expression. Maybe she was also indignant that she had been ignored. The other teens looked up as Keith didn’t answer. 

“Allura forbid,” Kova muttered. 

“Keith. Keith!” Caleb said, hoping to get the man’s attention. 

“No one get up,” Kova said, moving from her console. “I got it." 

Keith didn’t notice the footsteps, made purposefully loud. He didn’t feel the presence of another person. Until a hand touched his shoulder. His body reacted before his mind caught up. Grabbing the other person’s hand and twisting it behind their back, Keith tried pushing the person to the ground. Instead, Keith felt himself being lifted until his back met the floor and he was staring at the ceiling. Has that weird discolored plate always been there?

"I did nothing!” Kova yelled, holding her hands up in surrender. Heavier steps walked over to Keith, seeing Shiro’s towering form. 

“Keith,” Shiro said, letting his robotic arm push Kova back towards her console. “Are you alright?" 

"What happened?" 

"Kova flipped you.” Caleb was helpful at least. It seemed that Shiro didn’t appreciate it as he turned his head to glare at the teen. 

“He started it!” Cake yelled, standing from his console. 

“Who started what?” Hunk asked, coming into the bridge. The room descended into chaos. Pidge argued with Liz and Cake, Hunk was asking Allie what had happened, Caleb was just shouting over everyone, and Kova and Shiro had matching expressions. Reaching a human hand out to Keith, Shiro stood the man up and turned to his daughter. Her face was the definition of ‘May I?’ and Shiro nodded his approval after a survey of the room. 

“QUIET!” Kova yelled, louder than necessary, but effective nonetheless. The arguing ceased and Shiro’s robotic arm had flown over to Caleb, covering his face completely. After a sigh, Kova looked at the struggling Caleb. “If you stop struggling, you’ll get the hand off your face.” After some more indignant struggling, Caleb finally relaxed in his chair. 

“You’re loud.” Hunk stated. 

“I took singing lessons.” Kova looked at the chaotic bridge. “Right. So… we’re going to go train in our Lions, and we’ll figure out the rest from there.” The adults tried to voice their opinions, but the teens were already filing out. 

Hunk took a seat in Cake’s chair, using his bent arm as chinrest. Pidge reluctantly sat down in Liz’s chair, watching as Keith walked to Caleb’s chair. Shiro sighed, making his way to Kova’s console. The Lions filed out in backward order: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Or Blue, Yellow, Green, Red, and Black. When the Lions were in the air and flew in front of the Coeus’s large windows, Kenny finally woke up from his quick nap. 

“Oh,” Kenny said, yawning his way through. “We’re doing /that/ today." 

"Send the file to my console,” Kova said over the intercom. Through yawns and stretches, Kenny complied. Shiro received a file aptly named, 'TRAINING FILE’. Sharing it to the main screen, Shiro pressed something to open the file code. Strings of random letters, numbers, and symbols were written across the screen, undesirable for the Colonel. 

“Press the green button to launch the file and we’ll be—” Kova said, getting interrupted 

“Who, when, where, and why?” Pidge exclaimed. “This is super complicated!" 

"Which teen?” Hunk asked, looking over the code as it scrolled by. “I don’t know much about programming and it’s been a while since I’ve stared it in the face, but,” He let out a low whistle. “Whoever made this deserves a cookie. Maybe a cake." 

"I think Kova likes cookies and cream cake,” Kenny said, voice muffled by something. How were the teens supposed to know he was stuffing his face with leftovers. “Before you ask how I know it’s Kova, it’s called she is perfection personified." 

Out in her Lion, Kova groaned, leaning her head back. 'Perfection personified’? Oh, boy. 

"Are we private from the Coeus?” Allie asked, and with Kova likely out of commission, Liz checked. 

“We’re clear to rant.” Liz leaned back without letting go of the controls. The other teens sighed in relief, chatting among themselves. Liz ranted about Pidge being super intrusive and petty. When they moved from Pidge to Keith, Allie said nothing bad about the man. She didn’t say anything good either. In fact, she said nothing at all. 

“Kova,” Allie said, silencing everyone. “Are you okay?" 

"I’m sure she’s fine, Al,” Caleb said. “She is 'perfection personified’.”

“I’m not sure it’s being interpreted the same way,” Allie said. Kova sat up at the words. 

“What do you mean by that?” Liz asked. 

“Well, it /sounds/ like a compliment, but it doesn’t /feel/ like a compliment." 

"And she’s right,” Cake spoke up. “Remember when she got really torn up about the chem test?" 

"Oh, yeah,” Caleb said, looking off to the distance. “And the surprise pilot test." 

"DIdn’t you guys redo that one?” Liz. 

“Yeah.” Caleb stretched in his seat. “We still passed, but we felt better about it." 

"Coeus to Lions,” Shiro’s booming voice came over their earpieces. “Training file is launching in 3, 2, 1, launch." 

Each of the Lions received a different screen, explaining the long code. It took a second to recognize what happened, but it was made clear when the inner cameras appeared onscreen. The Blue Lion was on a frozen tundra, the Yellow Lion was in a howling desert, the Green Lion was in a rainforest, and the Red Lion was on an island. The Black Lion’s screen didn’t seem to change, still staring out into dark space, and Shiro thought that the file had malfunctioned or maybe Kenny sent the wrong version. 

"Alright, Paladins,” Kenny said, watching from the massive screen down in the engine room. “Each of you has received a custom training simulation based on your individual strengths and weaknesses. Locate the green exclamation point to begin your simulation. Oh, and, uh, good luck Paladins." 

The simulations were created to spread the Lions apart from each other to prevent them from hurting the other. Everything else Kenny said was true. 

For Allie and Blue, the tundra was a thick layer of ice on top of a large body of water. The green exclamation point gave her the mission of stopping an oil rig in the middle of the tundra, risking an oil spill in the clear, undisturbed water. 

For Cake and Yellow, the howling desert’s exclamation point gave him the mission of getting up close and personal with a town slowly being sucked under the sand. 

For Liz and Green, the rainforest exclamation point revealed that farmers were cutting down trees to make way for their crops, driving the natives that lived there already. 

For Caleb and Red, the island’s exclamation point explained that a volcano on the island was set to erupt and Red had to follow the directions of a long-time resident because he was the only one who spoke both the native language of the island and English. 

For Kova and Black, it hit a little too close to home. All Kova had to do was fly out for a few miles and down. The orange and white wreck was in flames, on the verge of explosion. Her mission was to assist the pilots onboard to escape pods. Kova had seen the ship in perfect condition too many times. It was the Achlys, and the pilots onboard would represent Keith, Pidge, Hunk, and Uncle Lance.

——————————

Vhix scoffed as he looked at the screen. Yorak had managed to hack into the Coeus’s most recently opened file. The Lions were all out and exposed, and according to the training simulations in front of them, they were very distracted. 

"She’ll be playing as you,” Vhix said with a smile, looking at his brother. Yorak didn’t smile, didn’t acknowledge Vhix, didn’t even seem interested in a discussion with him. Yorak had been made a makeshift throne, made of cut black stone from the deepest parts of the Nether Region in sector IV. 

“We can take the Black Paladin /now/.” Vhix held himself up on one of the armrests, leaning over the Emperor. “Why wait to grab her?” A second, then a minute of silence passed before Yorak slowly turned his head to Vhix. 

“Are you telling me what I want to hear or are you finally expressing your free thoughts?” Yorak asked, voice low. Vhix stood, hoping to shake off the chills that ran down his spine. He returned his eyes to the screen, showing the Paladins struggling with their missions. Yorak did the same after staring at the side of Vhix’s head for a few seconds. 

“Hack further into the code,” Yorak ordered to a shaking underling. “Ensure the blanks are real people.” The underling bowed their head and returned to work, furiously typing away. As the underling highlighted and deleted the strings of code that indicated the blanks’ appearance, an alarm rang. 

Every screen on Yorak’s bridge had begun to turn red, flashing a warning sign over the middle of the screen. Every screen turned red, including the main one that had been used to look at the Paladins’ progress through their Lions. 

“What. Is. Happening.” Yorak demanded, watching the screens now turning from red to black. As the main screen deactivated itself, Yorak and Vhix didn’t have time to react. 

The Yellow Lion had headbutted them straight-on.

——————————

“Great job, Yellow!” Kova yelled, flying under the ship. “Fall back and assist." 

"Roger that!” Cake said, moving Yellow away from the cracked glass. With a motion forward, Yellow joined Green in making long, deep scratches on the side of the ship, hoping to block off the escape pods. 

Red and Blue hoped to do the same but were unlucky enough to receive the first few blows from smaller ships. With Blue’s laser tail and Red’s jaw blade, the three smaller ships imploded on themselves. 

“ _Teleduv at 39% power, Paladins_ ,” Kenny said over the comms. The Black Lion had turned itself horizontally to make the best use of its dual-bladed jaw blade. It did almost run its wings into an engine, but likelihood said the engine was likely to become destroyed. Rationality said 'Don’t quiznacking die’. As Black emerged from the underside of the massive ship, Kova flew straight up. With Red and Green to her right and left respectively, and Blue and Yellow to Red’s right and to Green’s left, Kova said the magic words. 

“Form Voltron!" 

"Yeah!" 

The giant robot towered over Yorak’s ship. Onboard, the alarms had begun to sound. Two servants had come to whisk Yorak and Vhix away, hoping to catch an escape pod. How were they to know the ones normally used were destroyed or blocked? Yorak had raised a hand to one of the servants when he was violently thrown off his feet. Voltron did the football player move again. Tackle and push. Grabbing Vhix by the collar, Yorak ran to the other side of the ship, where the smaller combat ships were located. It would be cramped but better than dying today. 

With one last push, Voltron let go of the massive ship, watching it float away. At the same time, Cake inserted the Yellow bayard into the port, with an array of matching sparks. With the insertion, a yellow-plated shoulder cannon appeared on Voltron’s shoulder. Taking aim, Cake fired. The recoil sent Voltron back a few feet, but what’re a few feet in space? 

” _Teleduv at 89% power, Paladins_ ,“ Kenny called again, warning the teens. Voltron wouldn’t be able to watch the destruction then, as they turned away from the incoming explosion to fly back to the Coeus. Shiro, to his credit, managed to snap a picture of Voltron flying away from the explosion as it happened. The teens sure do know how to angle. 

” _Teleduv at 97% power_ ,“ Kenny warned one more time. ” _Prepare for teleduv travel_.“ Shiro hung onto the banister while the others put on the provided seatbelts. 

The wormhole opened and the Coeus pushed itself through. Voltron wasn’t far behind, hanging onto the tail end of the Coeus. 

Within the hour, the teens were cheering, polishing their armor, and reviewing what they would say. Allie was running her hands on the gravel underneath her feet to calm her down. Liz was on the verge of squealing in excitement, shaking her fists with her helmet in her lap. Cake was speaking slowly to make sure all the words came out of his mouth correctly. Kova was working with Kenny to set up the bridge drone to record and broadcast their message while simultaneously brushing her hair and braiding it. Caleb was snapping pictures of the team, sitting around excitedly. 

"I give up,” Kova said. “Allura!” Kova made her way over to Allie, who was sitting on a log. How Kova could plop herself down on the gravel, was a true mystery. “Braid my hair.” Demanding brat. Allie relented, taking Kova’s dark hair and braiding her long bangs back in a side french braid ponytail. At least, that’s what Allie thought it was called. Why couldn’t all the countries on Earth be one united clump like their landmasses show them to be? 

“Alright, get in positions, everyone!” Kenny yelled. “We’re ready to telecast.”

“One more minute!” Kova yelled back. Allie muttered something under her breath. “/Two/ more minutes!" 

"You get five because you haven’t cleaned your armor yet." 

"Are you calling me dirty?" 

"I ain’t calling you clean!” Kenny walked away just as Caleb walked up to Allie and Kova. 

“Is my hair good?” Caleb asked, crouching down to be eye-level with Kova. 

“I don’t know,” Kova said. Her eyes were closed, but a quick peek at Caleb was all she needed. “But your hair would be called 'Rat’s Nest Chic’." 

"What are you going to do about it?" 

"Me? Nothing. Dad, on the other hand,” Kova trailed off as Shiro appeared like a menacing villain behind Caleb, holding a brush in his human hand. While Caleb tried and failed to run away from Shiro and the threatening brush, Allie finished the braid and started helping Kova clean her armor. Kova did the same for Allie when the five minutes were up. 

The Paladins stood in a line in descending order. Far behind them, the Lions were sitting proudly. With two stomps on the gravel ground, the teens stood straight and at attention. Behind the drone, Kenny held up his hand. Telecast started in five, four, three, two…

“My name is Kovalia Shirogane, and I am the Paladin of the Black Lion and leader of Voltron.” Kova was confident, with her arms crossed behind her. The other teens had followed suit. “My team and I have been training relentlessly on the looming threat. With war on the horizon, we decided to announce Voltron’s return to the universe as a united front. Yorak and his minions will have you believe we have hidden in fear rather than confront him directly. Earlier today, we proved him wrong.” Behind the scenes, Kenny uploaded the footage of the earlier attack. “With a virus disguised as a training simulation designed by our engineer, we managed to attack and destroy the largest ship in Yorak’s fleet. After defeating him today, we returned here, to Moilea. Voltron has never backed down from a fight, from a war, or the right side of peace. Myself, and my team,” The teens spread further apart from each other to make themselves better seen by the camera when Kenny gave the signal. “Are prepared to take on any and every challenge thrown our way. I, Kova, am a second-generation half-Galra. My brother, Caleb Shirogane, and Paladin of the Red Lion is human. Paladin of the Green Lion, Eliza Griffin, is human as well. Issako Garrett, Paladin of the Yellow Lion, is a first-generation half-Balmeran. Allura Smythe, Paladin of the Blue Lion, is Altean. Together, we can not only unite the galaxy,” As Kova spoke the teens reached down to grab their helmets, to either hold them in their hands or hold them between their hips and arms. “We can rid the world of doubts in the coming war.” She turned her head to Caleb, who handed her the helmet for the Black Paladin suit. “Your move, Yorak,” Kova said with a smile, with the teens looking at the camera as it zoomed out to show the teens and the Lions in the same frame. 

With that and the setting sun over the Black Lion’s head, the telecast ended.


End file.
